Inside Alexis Patelis’ book presentation: The “Two Faces” of New Democracy and renewed attacks on Tsipras

“If you comparison the appearances astatine Stylianidis’ and Patelis’ publication launches, you spot the 2 faces of New Democracy. And Mitsotakis is walking some paths.” With this phrase, a elder authorities curate neatly summed up the reading weekend of the ruling party, connected the sidelines of the motorboat of the caller publication by Alexis Patelis — erstwhile caput of the Prime Minister’s Economic Office — held yesterday day astatine the National Gallery.

Patelis’ publication presumption drew a noticeably much centrist and technocratic crowd, with galore elder authorities officials and lone a fistful of “blue” MPs. This stood successful opposition to Euripides Stylianidis’ publication lawsuit connected artificial intelligence, which had brought unneurotic virtually the full party, minus Antonis Samaras.

Patelis, however, has ne'er claimed to beryllium portion of the party’s accepted bluish core, nor has helium developed peculiarly adjacent ties with the parliamentary group. To galore MPs, helium embodies the aggravated play earlier the same-sex matrimony ballot — a divisive infinitesimal that near disposable marks connected New Democracy. Yet helium remains 1 of the cardinal architects of the government’s economical policy, a information Kyriakos Mitsotakis was speedy to underline arsenic helium near the event.

“Alexis was 1 of the soundless protagonists down our economical occurrence and the restoration of Greece’s credibility,” the Prime Minister remarked.

The Centre and the Popular Right

A glimpse astatine the beforehand rows of the National Gallery made the governmental connection clear: galore faces absent from Stylianidis’ presumption were here. Among them were ministers and lawman ministers specified arsenic Akis Skertsos, Domna Michailidou, Lina Mendoni, Irini Agapidaki, Nikos Tsafos, and Vivi Charalabogianni.

Among the MPs attending were Kostas Skrekas — the party’s caput — his predecessor Maria Syrengella, erstwhile concern curate Christos Staikouras (a longtime collaborator of Patelis), arsenic good arsenic Tassos Hatzivasiliou, Maria Antoniou, Nefeli Hatziioannidou and Spyros Kyriakis.
Several elder figures, including Kostis Hatzidakis, Adonis Georgiadis, Sofia Zacharaki, Dora Bakoyannis, and Christos Dimas, attended some events.

The lineup astatine the Gallery mostly reflected the centrist “opening” initiated nether Kyriakos Mitsotakis — an outreach that broadened New Democracy’s basal and delivered strong, self-reliant electoral results. A notable beingness was erstwhile President of the Republic Katerina Sakellaropoulou, herself a awesome of that centrist shift.

Still, since the European elections, that outreach has been repeatedly questioned, adjacent if Mitsotakis continues to importune connected “bilateral expansion.” His caller recruitment of Andreas Loverdos — who volition tally successful the confederate Athens territory — is simply a lawsuit successful point. As observers noted, Mitsotakis appeared distinctly much astatine easiness amid the assemblage and mounting of the Gallery.

By contrast, the assemblage astatine Stylianidis’ Conservatory lawsuit represented the party’s grassroots — the “whole” of New Democracy’s basal — which remains indispensable for electoral dominance. Balancing the 2 worlds, analysts agree, is some hard and captious for Mitsotakis.

“Citizens Judge, Compare and Remember”

At the aforesaid time, the Prime Minister has started to nonstop subtle jabs toward Alexis Tsipras — adjacent without naming him directly.
Given that Patelis’ publication focuses connected however Greece rebuilt its planetary representation aft the Tsipras years, Mitsotakis couldn’t defy a pointed remark erstwhile questioned by reporters arsenic helium near the venue.

“That is not for america to determine — it’s up to the Greek people,” Mitsotakis said erstwhile asked whether determination was immoderate hazard of a governmental instrumentality to the Tsipras era.
“Just arsenic I trusted their judgement successful 2023, erstwhile our triumph reaffirmed the achievements of our archetypal term, I proceed to person assurance successful citizens who see, judge, comparison and remember.”

Meanwhile, arsenic Tsipras prepares to contiguous his ain publication successful the coming weeks, crisp commentary could already beryllium heard successful governmental circles.

“Patelis took six months to constitute a book. Tsipras took six years to physique a narrative,” 1 attendee quipped — though insiders enactment that the Maximos Mansion has yet to determine however it volition respond to Tsipras’ “literary rebranding.”

“The Great Return”

In his publication The Great Return: The Road to Greece’s Credibility (Papadopoulos Publications), Alexis Patelis takes readers wrong the decision-making halfway of Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ government. The erstwhile caput of the Prime Minister’s Economic Office from 2019 until his resignation successful 2024 offers an insider’s chronicle of Greece’s way to regaining investment-grade presumption amid aggregate crises.

“The publication places the scholar astatine the bosom of decision-making,” said Bank of Greece Governor Yannis Stournaras, who described it arsenic “a strategical relationship of how, aft a decennary of situation and doubt, Greece regained its credibility, its voice, and its spot successful Europe.” He besides praised Patelis arsenic “a antheral with beardown opinions — adjacent erstwhile 1 disagrees.”

Mariolena Athanasopoulou, Deputy Head of the ESM’s Economic Risk Analysis Department, speaking “from the different broadside of the table,” emphasized that Greece’s betterment “was neither casual nor inevitable, but the effect of accordant enactment and dedication to restoring the country’s reputation.”

“Patriotism Is Not Big Words and Crowns”

In his ain remarks, Patelis focused connected redefining patriotism:

“Patriotism isn’t crowns and large words,” helium said. “It’s not shouting ‘Go back, Mr. Merkel! Go back, Mr. Schäuble!’ arsenic Mr. Tsipras erstwhile did, nor abusing nationalist symbols arsenic the acold close does. Real patriotism means helping your state go stronger — contributing done enactment to a prouder, much resilient Greece.”