New Democracy and PASOK clash over potential coalition talks

A political dispute has emerged in Greece following comments by New Democracy MP Theodoros Karaoglou regarding potential post-election coalition options. Karaoglou suggested that if the party fails to secure a parliamentary majority, it should approach democratic parties on the right, specifically naming figures and parties such as Kyriakos Velopoulos, Aphrodite Latinopoulou, Niki, Mrs. Karystianou, and Mr. Samaras.

In response, PASOK accused the government of having a ‘hidden agenda’ to form a coalition with far-right elements, specifically mentioning Velopoulos and Latinopoulou. PASOK spokesperson Konstantinos Tsoukalas stated that the remarks confirm long-standing suspicions regarding Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’s intentions.

Government sources have countered these claims, asserting that New Democracy’s sole objective is to achieve a parliamentary majority on its own. They emphasized that the party has repeatedly and categorically ruled out any cooperation with far-right or populist parties. Furthermore, government sources criticized PASOK for its own political stance, noting that while PASOK has officially excluded cooperation with New Democracy, it has not ruled out partnerships with parties from the political left.