Mitsotakis looking for ‘spark’ from US Greeks
New Democracy leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who is putting together his frontline teams after being elected last Sunday, has called on Greek-Americans to help provide the “spark” to help Greece recover.
In a statement thanking New Democracy supporters for backing him in the leadership contest, Mitsotakis said he wants to create a Greece that is “competitive, prosperous and offers equal opportunities.” He suggested that the “dynamism, experience and success” of Greek-Americans could help in achieving this goal.
Mitsotakis also suggested in his message, published in diaspora newspaper The National Herald, that he would try to obtain voting rights for Greeks living abroad, who can only cast their ballots if they return to Greece.
For now, though, the conservative leader’s efforts are focused on selecting the personnel that will stand by him in his efforts to reshape the party. Having announced his nominations for the party’s three parliamentary spokespeople on Thursday, Mitsotakis is next expected to announce his shadow cabinet. It is said that right-wing MP Makis Voridis will be given a position after Mitsotakis overlooked him for the parliamentary role he wanted.
Voridis is expected to take over the interior portfolio and Christos Staikouras to remain in charge of financial issues. Other MPs that could be included in the shadow cabinet are Nikos Panagiotopoulos, Theodoros Fortsakis, Olga Kefaloyianni and Dora Bakoyannis, Mitsotakis’s sister.
