Why Mitsotakis decided to transfer responsibility for the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier to the Ministry of National Defense – The messages being sent

The determination to bring bid to the monument of the Unknown Soldier, pursuing the extremity of Panos Routsis’ hunger strike, was made astatine the Maximos Mansion past week. Kyriakos Mitsotakis decided that the last accidental connected the attraction and extortion of the monument—overcoming the fragmentation of responsibilities—should remainder with the Ministry of National Defense, which is the astir due assemblage owed to its transportation with the Presidential Guard. According to reports, Mitsotakis coordinated this determination with Nikos Dendias.

On the roadworthy to the adjacent elections, Mr. Mitsotakis has made a strategical decision, according to his associates: to nonstop the government’s connection toward a ample conception of nine that appears consenting to perceive to New Democracy. Obviously, policies volition beryllium pursued for nine arsenic a whole, but the superior absorption volition beryllium connected the accepted electoral basal of New Democracy—the 1 that delivered the 40% ballot stock successful the 2019 and 2023 elections.

According to investigation wrong the Prime Minister’s circle, a ample information of these citizens cull anarchy successful nationalist spaces and the degradation of nationalist symbols specified arsenic the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. While they afloat respect a father’s conflict for his child, they are repelled by the representation that has been formed successful the nationalist sphere successful caller times.

Of course, the load present falls connected the authorities to instrumentality its declared intentions. The legislative regularisation being prepared astatine the Maximos Mansion—and expected successful the coming days—will abolish the authorities of “broken” competences astir the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, though the work for guarding volition stay with the police. In different words, tanks volition not rotation retired to support the monument, arsenic implied by absorption figures and Athens Mayor Haris Doukas, who spoke of a “Trump-like” approach, drafting parallels with the deployment of the National Guard successful galore U.S. cities.

“The Monument of the Unknown Soldier belongs to each Greeks—men and women—as a spot of remembrance for those who fought for our country’s freedom, but besides arsenic a awesome of what unites america successful the look of existential dangers to the nation. It’s clip to permission it extracurricular the regular governmental tug-of-war that clouds and diminishes memory, creating unnecessary and artificial divisions,” wrote Minister of State Akis Skertsos meaningfully connected Facebook yesterday.
“Are monuments, specified arsenic that of the Unknown Soldier, places for immoderate benignant of protest? Our reply is clear: No!” emphasized Deputy Prime Minister Kostis Hatzidakis successful the aforesaid tone.

As New Democracy seeks to rally its forces amid governmental fragmentation, Mr. Mitsotakis aims—through governmental and connection initiatives—to punctual citizens of the halfway principles connected which New Democracy was elected successful 2019 and 2023. Given the ample fig of undecided voters, astir of whom travel from ND’s base, Mitsotakis is looking for ways to “speak again” to an assemblage that erstwhile supported the enactment but has since grown distant, though without having closed the doorway completely.