Two Faces, One Party
“If you compare the appearances at Stylianidis’ and Patelis’ book launches, you see the two faces of New Democracy — and Mitsotakis is walking both paths.” With this concise remark, a senior government minister summed up the subtle tension within Greece’s ruling party.
The weekend’s two literary events — those of Euripides Stylianidis and Alexis Patelis — reflected not only contrasting audiences but also the ideological spectrum that Kyriakos Mitsotakis has attempted to hold together. At the National Gallery, where Patelis presented The Great Return: The Road to Greece’s Credibility, the atmosphere was markedly centrist and technocratic. Ministers, economic policymakers, and academics mingled in what many observers called the “modernization wing” of the party.
In stark contrast, Stylianidis’ earlier event at the Conservatory gathered the “blue core” — the party’s traditional grassroots and conservative loyalists. As one analyst noted, “Mitsotakis must constantly move between these two worlds — the liberal centre that sustains credibility and the popular right that ensures power.”
The National Gallery Crowd
The front rows at the Gallery were filled with ministers and deputies closely aligned with the Prime Minister’s centrist agenda — among them Akis Skertsos, Domna Michailidou, Lina Mendoni, Irini Agapidaki, and Nikos Tsafos.
MPs Kostas Skrekas, Maria Syrengella, Christos Staikouras, and Tassos Hatzivasiliou were also present, as was former President Katerina Sakellaropoulou, symbolizing the institutional continuity of Mitsotakis’ governance.
“Alexis was one of the silent protagonists behind our economic success and the restoration of Greece’s credibility,” Mitsotakis said as he exited the event — a remark that both praised Patelis and reaffirmed the government’s economic narrative.
A Message to Tsipras — Without Naming Him
Patelis’ book, centered on Greece’s recovery after the SYRIZA years, inevitably invited political undertones. When asked whether he feared a political return to the Tsipras era, Mitsotakis responded with calm confidence:
“That is not for us to decide — it’s up to the Greek people. I continue to trust citizens who observe, judge, compare, and remember.”
This subtle yet pointed statement was widely read as a veiled jab at Alexis Tsipras, who is preparing to present his own book in the coming weeks. “Patelis took six months to write a book. Tsipras took six years to build a narrative,” quipped one attendee, hinting at the government’s readiness to counter SYRIZA’s new “intellectual offensive.”
Inside ‘The Great Return’
In The Great Return, published by Papadopoulos, Patelis offers an insider’s account of Greece’s path back to credibility after a decade of crises. As the former head of the Prime Minister’s Economic Office (2019–2024), he describes how disciplined fiscal policy and strategic communication restored investor confidence and redefined the country’s image abroad.
Bank of Greece Governor Yannis Stournaras praised the book as “a strategic account of how, after years of doubt, Greece regained its credibility, its voice, and its place in Europe.” Mariolena Athanasopoulou of the ESM added that “the recovery was neither easy nor inevitable — it was earned through consistency and dedication.”
Redefining Patriotism
For Patelis, the event was not just about policy — it was also about reclaiming the meaning of patriotism:“Patriotism isn’t crowns and big words,” he said. “It’s not shouting ‘Go back, Mr. Merkel!’ or abusing national symbols. Real patriotism means making your country stronger — contributing through action to a prouder, more resilient Greece.”
As Mitsotakis continues to walk the line between the centrist reformism that Patelis embodies and the traditional base represented by Stylianidis’ crowd, one thing remains certain: the Prime Minister’s balancing act will define not only his leadership but the very future of New Democracy itself.
Source: pagenews.gr