With some 3,000 delegates and 3,500 observers, the three-day Southwestern Conference at the Metropolitan Expo begins on Friday afternoon, May 15. It is the 16th Ordinary Congress of the ruling party and will be held under the central slogan “Together for the Greece of 2030”.
Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ opening speech is attracting all eyes. According to reports, the Prime Minister will first of all give an account of the government’s work since the last New Democracy Congress and the work of the government in its two terms of office.
This is because, according to the same sources, after outlining the priorities of the unified government plan of the first four years and the priorities of the second, the Prime Minister will present the projections and directions for the cycle of the third four-year term, which will be translated into an election programme when the road to the polls opens.
“Why a third four-year term?” will be the question he will particularly address. Mitsotakis will point not only to the opposition’s inability to put forward an alternative proposal, but will also outline the importance of the country staying on a growth trajectory that allows the policy of tax breaks and increases to continue.
In addition, the Prime Minister is also expected to dwell heavily on the difficult international situation. He will not hide the consequences of the uncertain international environment, consequences that will be economic, geopolitical and energy-related.
He will thus highlight, as his colleagues have said, the importance of stability and internal political normality for every country, and more so for ours in this region, pointing out that these are conquests of the country, which only the Southwest guarantees.
At the same time, at this point, Kyriakos Mitsotakis will also add the critical juncture of Greece assuming the EU Presidency in the second half of 2027, at a time when the Union will be called upon to draw up the new CAP, but also to promote positions that were predominantly Greek and were set by him, such as common defence and strategic autonomy.
On his criticism of the opposition, Kyriakos Mitsotakis is reportedly expected to be sparing, limiting himself to the toxicity and disparity of their forces, which are coming together with the sole aim of bringing down the government.
Also, part of his speech will be devoted to the party’s action and its unity, against the whispers that question it.
Finally, although he will address a party audience, Kyriakos Mitsotakis will outline the political and ideological identity of the New Democracy party, calling for rallying all those with whom the party met in 2019 and 2023.
