Former Prime Minister Antonis Samaras has once again found himself outside the conservative New Democracy party. His increasingly sharp criticisms have caused noticeable discomfort within the ruling party. However, an interview published today regarding the government’s handling of foreign policy, among other issues, ultimately led to his exit.
In the interview with the influential weekly newspaper “To Vima tis Kyriakis,” Samaras expressed his complete disagreement with the current government policies. Government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis pointed out that by making these statements, Samaras has placed himself outside the New Democracy party for the second time since 1993.
“No one has the right to play with the stability of the homeland in these turbulent times,” he emphasised.
A political career marked by nationalist and conservative positions
Since the 1977 parliamentary elections, Samaras has been a member of Parliament and served as a minister in the coalition governments of 1990. After New Democracy’s victory in 1990, he became Minister of Foreign Affairs. Still, after Yugoslavia’s dissolution, he soon disagreed with Prime Minister Konstantinos Mitsotakis over the “Macedonian name issue” about the newly established Republic’s name rights. Greek nationalists opposed the use of the name “Macedonia.”
The “Prespes Agreement” finally resolved the issue in June 2018, which recognised the country as North Macedonia. Due to his strong opposition to diplomatic solutions, Samaras was dismissed in April 1992 and resigned from Parliament later that year, leading to the collapse of the government.
In 1993, he founded the hard-right, nationalist Political Spring party, which he led until 2004, when he returned to New Democracy. He became party chairman in 2009 and led the main opposition. After the June 2012 elections, he served as Prime Minister until his resignation from the party leadership on July 5, 2015.
Nationalist opposition to the government’s choices
Four months ago, Antonis Samaras delivered a speech at a book presentation in Athens, laying out a political agenda similar to that of hard-right parties. He criticised Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis‘s government for being weak in the face of “provocations” from neighbouring countries, including Albania, North Macedonia, and Turkey. Samaras urged the government to withdraw Greece from the “Prespes Agreement” with North Macedonia, veto Albania’s and North Macedonia’s paths toward EU membership, and refrain from any “friendship agreement” with Turkey. Additionally, he attacked the government’s proposal to legalise same-sex marriage, which was passed into law in February 2024 with substantial parliamentary support.
However, three recent actions from the former Prime Minister have indicated that his expulsion could be a one-way solution for the conservative party. Samaras sharply criticised a meeting that took place on the sidelines of the Budapest Summit, which involved the prime ministers of Cyprus, Turkey, Albania and the Turkish President. Furthermore, he condemned the government’s foreign policy and accused Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis of failing to serve Greece’s interests in relations with the two countries, calling for his substitution. Lastly, he suggested that former Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis would be the best candidate for the Presidency of the Republic, despite the government’s position that it is still time to discuss this issue. This proposal evoked concerns and fears within the government, reminiscent of Samaras’s 1993 anti-government actions.
While Samaras does influence some conservative party MPs, his next move remains uncertain.
