Former prime minister Costas Karamanlis on Friday evening made it clear that he’s “not interested” in serving as the next president of the republic, the head of state position in Greece’s political system.
The two-time prime minister and veteran New Democracy (ND) lawmaker made the statement during his address at a book presentation in the western port city of Patras, and only days after another ND prime minister, Antonis Samaras, expressed his support for Karamanlis to assume the ceremonial post of president of the republic.
Samaras was expelled from the ruling party in the wake of an interview with “To Vima”, where he said Karamanlis was best suited as the next president. However, his expulsion was primarily due to his scathing criticism of Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis – whom he accused of “appeasement” vis-à-vis Turkish claims and demands – and less so for his opinions regarding the presidency.
Nevertheless, government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis also included the reference as among the – lesser – reasons for Samaras’ ouster, citing “an untimely debate that he’s (Samaras) insisted on, regarding the election (of Parliament MPs in 2025) of the President of the Republic, which is an insult to the person and the institution of the (current) head of state.” Marinakis’ statement came hours after a portion of Samaras’ interview was released, on Saturday.
In winding down his address on Friday, Karamanlis said “…a final word on the issue of the presidency of the republic. I am honored by the thought, especially coming from a former prime minister. But I want to make it clear that the issue neither concerns nor interests me.”
In touching on the withering criticism aimed at Gerapetritis, and by extension at the Mitsotakis government’s foreign policy, Karamanlis said:
“A different interpretation, and even strong criticism, should not be demonized. And, in any case, such instances should not be dealt with disciplinary measures, which make the prospect of achieving necessary national consensus in support of foreign policy even more difficult,” he underlined, in a direct reference to Samaras’ expulsion.
The latter succeeded Karamanlis at center-right New Democracy (ND) party’s helm in late 2009 and then served as prime minister in two coalition governments he headed up between 2012 and January 2015.
Ex-Premier speaks at book presentation
Karamanlis, the namesake and first nephew of ND founder and three-time prime minister Constantine Karamanlis, spoke during a presentation of the book “Jawohl!: Oblivion and Servitude”, by author Giorgos Harvalias, which broaches what the latter cites as errors and oversights of European Union policies in critical sectors.
In touching to the subject of the book, Karamanlis, who headed two successive ND governments between 2004 and 2009, specifically cited the issue of German war reparations demanded by Greece and private citizens in the country. He referred to “impediments and obsessions” weighing down German politics, which have “distanced European unification from the vision of its founders,” as he said. Along these lines, he said bailout policies followed by the EU damaged Greece.
Finally, Karamanlis said the “the problem of illegal immigration is also causing great shockwaves to the European edifice – a problem with a major impact on social cohesion, political stability and the very identity of Europe.”
Speculation over next president of the republic
In Samaras’ “To Vima” interview last weekend, the former PM said he considered Karamanlis as the best choice for president of the republic, which in Greece comprises a ceremonial head of state office that, however, in the past risked triggering a snap election when a majority of Parliament deputies didn’t materialize to elect a new president – as was the case for the snap January 2015 election.
Constitutional revision after 2019 eliminated this possibility.
At the same time, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and ruling ND party have carefully avoided speculation on whether the incumbent president, Katerina Sakellaropoulou, will supported in 2025 by ruling ND and its Parliament majority of deputies for re-election by the 300-MP legislature.
