Adonis Georgiadis has moved to shut down speculation over post-election coalitions, making clear that New Democracy’s political strategy remains unchanged: securing a parliamentary majority in the next national election.
Speaking on Wednesday morning, September 9, on Parapolitika 90.1 radio and the program “Apenanti Mikrofona” with Sotiris Xenakis and Vassilis Skouris, Greece’s Health Minister drew a sharp distinction between a coalition government and a prolonged period in which the country is unable to form a government.
His intervention comes as the debate over Greece’s post-election landscape intensifies. Georgiadis has repeatedly argued in recent days that New Democracy remains the only viable route to a stable government, describing an outright majority as both achievable and necessary.
“There is no scenario for cooperation with anyone”
Georgiadis was categorical when asked about the possibility of political alliances after the election.
“At present, there is no scenario whatsoever for any cooperation with anyone. The Prime Minister has said that we should win a majority on the first Sunday. We are going to fight for a majority. That is what I am saying as well.”
He insisted that voters should be presented with the political reality as it stands today, rather than hypothetical coalition arrangements.
“We must always tell people the truth. The people will make whatever decision they want.”
According to Georgiadis, no potential coalition currently exists on the basis of the publicly declared positions of Greece’s political parties.
“There is no party that wants to cooperate with another party in Greece at this moment. There isn’t. That is the truth.”
The position is consistent with his recent statements that a New Democracy–PASOK coalition is not currently politically viable, particularly after PASOK ruled out cooperation with New Democracy.
“Coalition governments happened only during the bailout years”
Georgiadis then went further, challenging comparisons between Greece and European countries where coalition governments are the political norm.
His argument is that the European coalition model cannot simply be transplanted into the Greek political system because the political cultures are fundamentally different.
“Those who say, ‘What happened to Europe because it has coalition governments?’ — fine, let us consider that possibility. In Europe, the possible governing coalitions are announced before the elections.”
He then delivered one of the strongest political lines of the interview:
“In Greece, coalition governments do not happen. Coalition governments happened only during the bailout years. In other words, under pressure. Greece does not have a culture of coalition governments.”
The reference is politically significant. During the sovereign debt crisis, Greece was governed by coalition administrations as the country faced extraordinary economic and political pressures.
Georgiadis’ argument is therefore that those governments should not automatically be treated as evidence that coalition politics has become the natural model for Greece.
Coalition government and political paralysis are not the same thing
The Health Minister also sought to clarify a distinction he considers fundamental to the debate.
His warning, he said, was not directed against coalition governments as such. It concerned the possibility of prolonged political paralysis if no viable government emerges after the election.
“I did not speak about coalition governments. I spoke about the country being left without a government — and, in fact, about prolonged political paralysis.”
He went further:
“If we do not have a majority, if a government cannot be formed and the country remains without a government, then yes, the country will be at risk.”
For Georgiadis, political stability is therefore not merely an issue of economic governance. He links it directly to Greece’s ability to respond effectively to geopolitical and national-security challenges.
The Turkey factor and Georgiadis’ warning
During the interview, Georgiadis invoked episodes from modern Greek-Turkish relations to argue that domestic political instability can create vulnerabilities that Ankara may seek to exploit.
“Historically, it has been proven that whenever Greece finds itself in prolonged political instability, Turkey tries to take advantage of it. This is a matter of historical memory.”
His argument should not, however, be interpreted as advocating a particular coalition in response to pressure from Turkey.
Georgiadis explicitly rejected that interpretation, insisting that his preferred political outcome is a clear electoral mandate.
The message is straightforward: New Democracy should seek an outright majority rather than enter the election preparing the ground for a coalition.
A clear electoral dilemma: majority or uncertainty
The political significance of Georgiadis’ intervention lies precisely there.
He is rejecting the idea that New Democracy should enter the election with an unofficial “Plan B” based on a prospective coalition partner. Indeed, in a separate interview published Wednesday, he stated explicitly that there is “no Plan B” for the country other than a New Democracy majority.
Instead, Georgiadis is framing the next election around a much sharper choice: whether Greece will emerge with a stable government capable of governing immediately or enter a period of political uncertainty and repeated attempts to construct a governing majority.
For the Health Minister, the answer is unequivocal:
“The Prime Minister has said that we should win a majority on the first Sunday. We are going to fight for a majority.”
And that ultimately encapsulates Georgiadis’ political message: New Democracy is not campaigning for a coalition. It is campaigning to govern.
Source: pagenews.gr