Under the codename ‘Offensive’, New Democracy (ND) has launched a coordinated, nationwide tour of senior ministers and party officials — stretching through late July — aimed squarely at reconnecting with disillusioned ND voters across Greece. With summer holidays looming, the party is accelerating its outreach to maximize political and organizational momentum in the remaining pre-vacation window.
Peloponnese: A Strategic Priority
The Peloponnese region is the first major focus — and a top strategic priority for the Prime Minister’s Office. This emphasis stems not only from the region’s electoral significance but also from the presence of former Prime Minister Antonis Samaras, who is reportedly on the verge of announcing a new political party. Though Samaras’ strongest base remains his home region of Messenia, his influence extends across several Peloponnesian prefectures — making ND’s campaign here both urgent and high-stakes.
In Messenia, Party Secretary Konstantinos Kyranakis and Labour Minister Niki Kerameos will visit in the coming days. Later this week, Infrastructure and Transport Minister Christos Dimas will follow, highlighting completed and planned infrastructure projects in the prefecture.
Vice-President of the Government Kostis Chatzidakis will travel to Arcadia, accompanied by Kyranakis; shortly after, Deputy Finance Minister Nikos Papathanasis will visit Megalopolis in the same region. Migration and Asylum Minister Thanos Plyris will head to Argolis — specifically Nafplio and Argos — while Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni will visit Hermione and Porto Cheli in the southern Peloponnese. Agriculture Minister Margaritis Schinas will be in Corinthia, and Makis Voridis — a key figure expected to play a prominent role in the upcoming electoral campaign — will appear in Laconia alongside Deputy Minister for Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Kostas Katsafados.
Next Stop: Thessaly
Following the Peloponnese, ND shifts focus to Thessaly — another region where the party has registered notable voter attrition. The effort there will involve additional senior ministers, including Nikos Dendias, Adonis Georgiadis, Sofia Zacharakis, Pavlos Marinakis, and Giannis Vroutsis.
A Show of Strength and Readiness
The scale and simultaneity of these visits — with multiple ministers active across prefectures within each region — form a core element of ND’s strategy. The aim is twofold: to underscore the party’s depth of leadership compared to rivals — whom ND sources at Piraeus describe as still ‘searching for candidates’ — and to rigorously test the responsiveness and coordination of the party’s grassroots machinery.
Critical to the effort is direct engagement — not just with professional associations, business groups, or local government representatives, but most importantly, with ordinary citizens. Winning back dissatisfied supporters is seen as pivotal to reversing current political sentiment — and ultimately securing ND’s goal of parliamentary self-sufficiency.
As one internal question puts it: ‘Who’s sweating the jersey?’