ND will seek wider coalition if elected in government, says Mitsotakis

New Democracy will seek to form a wider cooperation with other parties if it is elected in government in the next general elections, even if it achieves full majority in parliament, party leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis told private broadcaster Skai in an interview on Sunday.

However he excluded the governing coalition of SYRIZA and the Independent Greeks (ANEL) from those plans.

“SYRIZA is not part of these forces. ANEL are in the same category as SYRIZA. The dilemma is not right or left, it is progress or populism,” he said.

Asked about the anarchist group Rouvikonas, Mitsotakis said they are doing great damage to the country.

On Wednesday, the group warned the ND leader that it planed to target him following his criticism of Rouvikonas’ attack against the Council of State, Greece’s top administrative court.

“I wasn’t scared, it didn’t trouble me,” he said. “The problem with Rouvikonas is wider. It is a problem of tolerance towards a group that tolerates — if not incites — violence,” he added.

Mitsotakis said violence must be condemned “either it comes from the right, or the left,” and mentioned the assault against Thessaloniki mayor Yiannis Boutaris.

However he criticised Boutaris’ work, saying “he has not succeeded as a mayor” because success or failure is judged by the quality of daily life.

Commenting about the ongoing talks between Greece and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) to resolve the decades-old name dispute, Mitsotakis said Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras told him he is discussing the name “Republic of Ilinden Macedonia.”

“It is the worst possible name. It is the erga omnes of irredentism,” he said.

“From the very first moment we set the national framework for a comprehensive package solution with a change of the constitution and a complete elimination of irredentism. Revision of the constitution is essential. I will be able to state my view when I have a specific proposal,” he added.