No pre-election debate among leaders as parties disagree on format

There is to be no debate between Greek political leaders ahead of snap elections on July 7 as party representatives could not agree on a format, Skai reported on Monday.

The debate had been intended to 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.

ND wanted all the parties represented in Parliament on the panel whereas Tsipras also wanted a second debate with the leaders going head-to-head.

There were other objections too with both ND and KKE both reportedly objecting 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 the House.