In early June, the Political Committee of New Democracy is expected to convene for the first time with its new composition, officially opening the cycle of internal party decisions connected to the path toward the next national elections. At the center of the meeting will be the election of the new party secretary, the person who will succeed Stelios Kontadakis and assume a critical role: organizing the party mechanism and coordinating pre-election preparations.
New Democracy: Who’s in the running for secretary position and Kontadakis continuation scenario
The Political Committee, numbering approximately 450 members —150 elected and more than 300 ex officio— constitutes, according to New Democracy’s constitution, the supreme collective body of the party during the period between two congresses. In a time when the governing coalition seeks to maintain internal balances while simultaneously organizing its strategy for the next electoral contest, the selection of the new secretary acquires particular political weight. Sources from Maximos Mansion report that Kyriakos Mitsotakis has not finalized his decision regarding the new Political Committee secretary, nor whether the choice will come from the Parliamentary Group pool or be a party official.
Behind the scenes of the “blue” coalition, several names are being heard, with the common characteristic that they almost all come from New Democracy’s party core, officials who have passed through DAP, ONNED and have —as is customarily said in blue political geography— “sweated the jersey.” Among parliamentary officials, Giorgos Stylios’ name is counted among the strong favorites. The Arta MP has a long-standing presence in New Democracy’s party life and is considered a person with low-key tones. His unifying intervention in the recent Parliamentary Group session, as well as at the congress, was commented on positively by several officials, who see in his case a choice that could serve to maintain internal balance.
Vasilis Spanakis moves in the same climate. The Deputy Interior Minister and MP for Athens South is considered among the most experienced party officials of his generation, with knowledge of New Democracy’s political geography. The name of Giannis Pappas also remains on the table. New Democracy officials note that he has the ability to communicate with different intra-party trends, maintaining communication channels both with the “presidential” environment and with officials who politically refer to Antonis Samaras or Kostas Karamanlis. In a situation where internal balances acquire particular significance, the ability to reach understanding with different audiences is considered a significant advantage.
The discussions also include the name of Magnesia MP and former Deputy Education Minister Zetta Makri, who had been mentioned in the past for similar party roles.
Meanwhile, extra-parliamentary scenarios are not lacking. Giannis Bratakos continues to maintain strong references within the coalition, while in recent days it’s said that a different scenario is gaining ground: the continuation of Organizational Secretary Stelios Kontadakis in the position of transitional Political Committee secretary until the elections. After Kostas Skrekas’ resignation in the aftermath of the OPEKEPE affair, several officials believe that a continuity solution could prove to be the safest choice. As party sources note, this is a person who knows in depth New Democracy’s executive potential throughout the country and can guarantee organizational stability without opening new cycles of intra-party rivalries. In a period where the governing coalition seeks to balance between pre-election preparation and internal sensitivities, the choice of the person who will assume the party helm acquires broader political significance.
