With its sights set on rallying support for New Democracy, the ruling party’s headquarters is leveraging the upcoming Thessaloniki International Fair (TIF) as a critical milestone to strengthen the government’s presence in Northern Greece, aiming to inform local communities about the government’s work and highlight key initiatives designed to improve citizens’ everyday lives.
New Democracy: The “blue landing” of party officials has begun
The so-called “blue landing” — a mass deployment of government officials — got underway yesterday with a series of visits by ministers and deputy ministers to the regional units of Western Macedonia, Central Macedonia, Eastern Macedonia, and Thrace, ahead of the 90th Thessaloniki International Fair. According to party headquarters’ planning, the strategic focus falls squarely on electoral constituencies where New Democracy is struggling, as right-leaning voter defections are being recorded at the grassroots level. Political Committee Secretary Konstantinos Kyranakis has identified the re-engagement of disenchanted voters who have drifted away from the center-right as the top priority in the party’s preparations for the next general elections.
Against this backdrop, the upcoming TIF is being utilized as a prime opportunity to intensify the government’s presence across Macedonia and Thrace — regions where New Democracy posted a decline in momentum during the last European elections, while parties further to the right recorded corresponding gains.
Notably, right-wing parties outperforming New Democracy tend to achieve their highest vote shares in Macedonia’s electoral constituencies, capitalizing on local ties and the Northern Greek roots of their leaders — including Kyriakos Velopoulos, Dimitris Natsios, Afroditi Latinopoulou, and Maria Karystianou. Adding another variable to the equation ahead of the next general elections is the prospect of a new political party launched by former Prime Minister Antonis Samaras — a scenario that appears to be gaining credibility following a recent interview given by his spokesperson, Nikos Tsioutsias.
In this context, the selection of government officials deployed across Northern Greece from yesterday through next Friday is anything but coincidental. Secretary Kyranakis has called in New Democracy’s “heavy artillery” for the northern campaign, with the ministers and deputy ministers dispatched to Macedonia widely regarded as figures capable of effectively connecting with the party’s traditional voter base.
The tour schedule
According to the schedule drawn up by party headquarters, Deputy Prime Minister Kostis Hatzidakis visited Pieria yesterday, Minister of Environment and Energy Stavros Papastaurou traveled to Grevena, Minister of Migration and Asylum Thanos Plevris visited Imathia, Minister of Culture Lina Mendoni headed to Florina, and Minister of Rural Development and Food Margaritis Schinas visited Serres.
Additionally, tours across Northern Greece were carried out by Deputy Ministers Sevi Voloudaki, Kostas Vlasis, Dimitris Markopoulos, Thanasis Kavvadas, Kostas Karagkounis, Giannis Andrianos, Stavros Kalafatis, and Anna Karamanli. In the coming days, tours are expected from Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis, Defence Minister Nikos Dendias, Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis, Labour Minister Niki Kerameus, Citizen Protection Minister Michalis Chrysochoidis, Development Minister Takis Theodorikakos, and Education Minister Sofia Zacharaki. In total, 14 government officials will visit Western Macedonia specifically: Giorgos Gerapetritis, Stavros Papastaurou, Takis Theodorikakos, Christos Dimas, Niki Kerameus, Dimitris Papastergious, Lina Mendoni, Giorgos Kotsiras, Nikos Papaioannou, Iasonas Fotilas, Giannis Andrianos, Stavros Kalafatis, Nikos Tachiaos, and Sevi Voloudaki.
Eastern Macedonia and Thrace will be visited by Nikos Dendias, Stavros Papastaurou, Michalis Chrysochoidis, Adonis Georgiadis, Sofia Zacharaki, Giorgos Floridis, Vasilis Kikilias, Giannis Vroutsis, Kostas Katsafados, Vasilis Spanakis, Thanasis Kavvadas, Sevi Voloudaki, Eirini Agapidaki, Dimitris Markopoulos, Kostas Vlasis, Marilena Soukouli, Kostas Karagkounis, Giannis Andrianos, Lazaros Tsavdaridis, and Christos Dermentzopoulos.
Finally, tours of Central Macedonia will be conducted by Kostis Hatzidakis, Christos Dimas, Michalis Chrysochoidis, Adonis Georgiadis, Olga Kefalogianni, Thanasis Kontogeorgis, Niki Kerameus, Margaritis Schinas, Thanos Plevris, Dimitris Papastergious, Lina Mendoni, Domna Michailidou, Makis Voridis, Giorgos Kostiras, Anna Karamanli, Thanasis Davakis, Elena Rapti, Giannis Vroutsis, Sevi Voloudaki, Vasilis Spanakis, Kostas Vlasis, Charis Theocharis, Kostas Karagkounis, Anna Efthymiou, and Stavros Kalafatis.
Originally published in Apogevmatini
