Meimarakis to ask for nod or immediate leadership race

New Democracy’s caretaker leader Evangelos Meimarakis is expected to call a meeting of the party’s political committee sometime soon after Wednesday’s vote on bailout measures in Parliament so the conservatives can start to settle their leadership issues and prepare for possible national elections this autumn, sources told Kathimerini.

Meimarakis is expected to propose that either the party launch an immediate leadership contest to find a permanent successor to Antonis Samaras, in which the caretaker leader will not take part, or to authorize him to start planning the party’s strategy for the months ahead.

There is growing support within the party for Meimarakis to stay on as leader for the time being, including from Samaras and his predecessor Costas Karamanlis.

However, there are others, such as ex-Tourism Minister Olga Kefaloyianni, who believe New Democracy needs a new leader and one from the younger generation of conservatives.