Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is expected to unveil the axes of his government’s planning this afternoon from the podium of New Democracy’s 16th Congress at Metropolitan Expo, while calling on New Democracy members to unite as one. The congress’s central objective is condensed into a message of unity and rallying ahead of the crucial national elections, captured in the main slogan “Together for Greece 2030.” The prime minister will develop the new government narrative focused on bold reforms and institutional changes.
New Democracy 16th Congress: Unity call from Mitsotakis, reforms and “opening” to the discontented
At the same time, Mitsotakis will declare the start of the pre-election campaign, calling all party members and officials to mobilize. The speech will also focus on Kyriakos Mitsotakis’s vision for New Democracy, targeting social and professional groups that have distanced themselves from the government and New Democracy, with the obvious goal of re-engagement. Front-line New Democracy officials will move in the same spirit, including Deputy Prime Minister Kostis Hatzidakis, who will speak about New Democracy’s reform program ahead of the next elections, and the narrative that New Democracy will begin building toward achieving a third self-reliant government. Defense Minister Nikos Dendias is expected to send a strong unity message, while Adonis Georgiadis will refer to his vision for Greece 2030, which (as he will say according to sources) “requires Kyriakos Mitsotakis’s third prime ministerial term as a prerequisite.”
National Economy and Finance Minister Kyriakos Pierrakakis will focus on reforms the country needs with a 2030 horizon and will emphasize the challenges of the coming four-year term, as well as the critical importance of keeping the country’s “steering wheel” with New Democracy. Government spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis will move – according to sources – on two axes: the consistency of government policy with New Democracy’s ideology, and New Democracy’s objectives on the road to national elections. It’s worth noting that the prime minister will attend all three days of the congress proceedings. The congress will be officially opened by Organizing Committee chairman Theodoros Roussopoulos.
SPEECHES Tomorrow will feature speeches by New Democracy’s general director Yannis Smyrlis, European People’s Party president Manfred Weber, President of the Republic of Cyprus Nikos Christodoulides, Parliamentary Group general secretary Maximos Charakopoulos, party vice-presidents Kostis Hatzidakis and Adonis Georgiadis, and New Democracy’s rapporteur to the Constitutional Revision Committee, Euripidis Stylianidis.
During the proceedings, greetings will be delivered by representatives of European Union member states, representatives of the European People’s Party and the European Parliament, as well as representatives of other Greek Parliament parties. Additionally, on the second day of congress proceedings, delegates will present positions in eight thematic sections: “Social State for All – New Prospects and Opportunities,” “Strong Greece,” “Strong Economy – Strong Greece,” “Greece destination for all – Major projects & infrastructure,” “Modern State for All,” “Safe Greece,” “With young people we build tomorrow’s Greece,” and “2030: Strong Greece, New Democracy leading.”
Furthermore, tomorrow will feature a side event on artificial intelligence with Kyriakos Mitsotakis’s participation. On Sunday, the final day of congress proceedings, speeches will be delivered by Political Committee secretary Stelios Kontadakis, Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism Apostolos Tzitzikostas, European People’s Party general secretary Dolors Montserrat, President of Cyprus House of Representatives and Democratic Rally Annita Dimitriou, and Organizing Committee chairman Theodoros Roussopoulos, while greetings will be delivered by European Parliament President Roberta Metsola and former European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker.
Before the proceedings conclude, the party president and prime minister will deliver the closing speech to the congress body. The congress will feature pavilions of foreign foundations with longstanding cooperation with New Democracy (Konrad Adenauer, Wilfried Martens, Hanns Seidel), a European People’s Party pavilion, the Konstantinos Karamanlis Democracy Institute (KKDI), as well as two startup pavilions in the artificial intelligence sector.
