PM rallies support for incumbent Athens mayor
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis visited Victoria Square in central Athens on Thursday with Athens Mayor Kostas Bakoyannis in a sign of support for the incumbent ahead of a runoff municipal election this Sunday.
Mitsotakis said that Athens is a tourist destination all year round and must continue to be one in the next five years.
“I am sure that the Athenians will appreciate the work that has been done but also the courage of the self-criticism that was needed for certain things that did not go well,” he told the press. “Besides, I am always the first to say at our level as well, politicians must recognize our mistakes, learn from them and make sure we don’t repeat them. And I am sure that the same thing will happen when the citizens of Athens will decide who should be the next mayor,” he added.
Bakoyannis, who is also Mitsotakis’ nephew, is running against Haris Doukas on the runoff vote on 15 October. Neither achieved the required threshold percentage of 43% in the first round last Sunday. Bakoyannis, endorsed by the ruling New Democracy party, came first with 41.35%, ahead of PASOK-backed Doukas’ 14.19%.
The two took part in a televised debate on Wednesday night ahead of Sunday’s runoff. PASOK and main opposition party SYRIZA, whose candidate in Athens came third, may decide to jointly back Doukas in the second round.
In the afternoon, Mitsotakis will visit Tripoli where he will campaign with with the candidate governor of the Peloponnese region, Dimitris Ptochos.
