By Penelope Galliou

Four months before the polls were set up for the European elections on June 9, Mr Kyriakos Mitsotakis, is already “paving” the pre-election ground, marking his choices for the new election contest that is already being prepared. In this context, after all, the contacts of either the prime minister himself or his close associates are constantly increasing in order to draw up the list of candidates that will make up the ND’s European ballot. The presentation of the new book by the Director of the Prime Minister’s Press Office, Dimitris Tsiodras, entitled “European Integration. The Adventures of a Vision” also had a strong “smell” of European elections, where Kyriakos Mitsotakis was present, posing the first dilemmas of the upcoming European elections, which, as he said, are of special importance not only for Greece but also for Europe as a whole.

“These are not polls offered only for party registration of power. Nor much more for sending inexpensive messages of protest for internal consumption”, underlined Mr. Mitsotakis and added that “they will signal whether the Europe is in a position the next day to accelerate the pace of its development and if new alliances of common sense will be formed”. strengthen the faction that has shown that it knows and can intervene in European relations,” he said.

He even outlined the ND candidates who will make up its ballot blue line, speaking of “persons with knowledge of their role, ready to stand in the demanding space of the European Parliament and assured that “as ND we will remain faithful to the policy we have been serving for 4.5 years, of responsible patriotism, social progressivism and liberal economic orientation. This policy of multi-power modernization that was resoundingly confirmed in the May and June polls and gave the ND an even stronger percentage than in 2019. It is a policy that aims at the real convergence of Greece with Europe and at keeping it at the heart of Europe and in the center of making the important European decisions”.

The presence of the Prime Minister at the presentation of his book Dimitris Tsiodra but also the closing of his “photographed” speech and the candidacy of his close partner in the European elections: “Good luck with the book. And good luck with the author’s journey to his next goals. The country needs fresh ideas and capable people to put them into practice” emphasized Kyriakos Mitsotakis for Mr. Tsiodras.

Apart from Dimitris Tsiodras, whose name has not been officially announced for the ND’s European ballot, the candidacies of the former Minister of PASOK Evi Christofilopoulos and the former Deputy Minister of Health Vassilis Kontozamanis, the Olympian and former MP of PASOK Pyrros Dimas are certain, but and his teacher of the University of Athens and candidate for parliament with the ND in Kefalonia Napoleon Maraveias. At the same time, contacts and meetings of the Prime Minister’s staff are ongoing in order to compose the “squad” of candidates which is expected to be largely formed by the end of the month.

Among the current MEPs, Anna Michelle Asimakopoulou, Eliza Vosenberg, Vangelis Meimarakis and Stelios Kymbouropoulos are running for another term in the European Parliament.

Among the new faces that “fell” at the table of Piraeus, is that of the Vice-Regional Mayor of Thessaloniki, Voulas Patoulidou, as well as
Paralympian Antonis Tsapatakis. The candidacy of SKAI journalist Giorgos Autias is also considered certain, who has already started contacts with the world regarding Greece and is expected to extend to the diaspora as well, as he has been invited in April to the parade that will be held in New York for the national anniversary of March 25.

Among the featured persons, the name of the presenter and former ND MP, Nonis Dounia, as well as the professor at the Democritus University of Thrace, Sotiris Serbos, and the police unionist Giorgos Kalliakmanis are also mentioned.