Party leaders’ TV debate scheduled for July 1

Greek party leaders will have an opportunity to cross swords in a televised debate which will be held on July 1, six days before the country's general elections, Kathimerini understands.

The debate, which was decided during a meeting of an interparty committee for the elections on Tuesday, will include Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, leader of ruling SYRIZA, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the head of the main opposition New Democracy (ND), Dimitris Koutsoumbas of the Communist Party (KKE), Fofi Gennimata of the center-left Movement for Change (KINAL) and Vasilis Leventis of the Union of Centrists.

Accoridng to sources, ND and KKE both objected to the inclusion of Kyriakos Velopoulos, the leader of far-right Greek Solution, arguing that the debate should be focused on the parties that are represented in Parliament.

The debate will be broadcasted by state-run broadcaster ERT.