Georgiadis urges Potami to battle populism with ND

Adonis Georgiadis, recently installed as one of New Democracy’s two vice presidents, has urged the centrist Potami party to “join the reformist camp against the populism” of the ruling coalition, adding that anchoring Greece at the EU core must take precedence over strict ideological debate.

In an interview with Sunday’s Kathimerini, Georgiadis predicted that growing polarization between leftist SYRIZA and a revamped New Democracy is bound to take a hefty toll on the smaller parties of the political center.

“The next election will be extremely polarized,” the former health minister said. “I believe that the New Democracy of Kyriakos Mitsotakis, which will wage the battle against the populists of the current government, has room for the Potami folk.”

Locked in existential mode following its poor electoral showing and poll ratings, Stavros Theodorakis’s party is holding its national convention later this month.

In the same interview, Georgiadis, formerly an MP with the ultranationalist LAOS party, denied criticism that new ND chief Mitsotakis, who appointed Costis Hatzidakis as second vice president, has tried to placate the party’s rival factions.

“Mitsotakis has sent a clear signal that he plans to turn ND in a strong reformist force,” Georgiadis said, adding that he and Hatzidakis have both proved capable of taking on vested interests.

“I do not mean to say that the right and center tags are no longer relevant… When Greece finally manages to secure its place at the heart of the West, then we will have the luxury of being able to talk about our ideological differences. Today, a debate of this sort is a luxury we cannot afford.”