To Potami proposes constitutional expert as next president

To Potami leader Stavros Theodorakis believes the government should nominate professor Nikos Alivizatos as a candidate for next year’s Presidential vote.

In an interview with Sunday’s Kathimerini, the former journalist described Alivizatos, a constitutional lawyer and professor at the University of Athens, as “a top constitutional expert, a cosmopolitan and a courageous champion of human rights.”

“We should not have to settle for the mediocre,” he said.

The upcoming presidential election has become a political tug-of-war between Greece’s conservative-led coalition and the leftist opposition as failure to elect a successor to Karolos Papoulias will trigger a snap poll.

Asked about To Potami’s ambitions in case of a general election, Theodorakis said anything less than the 6.6 percent his party scored at European elections in May would be a failure.

He also ruled out the prospect of a political alliance with Panos Kammenos, leader of the populist right-wing Independent Greeks. “What for? So that we can all shoot at the planes spraying us?” Theodorakis told the newspaper, sniping at the anti-bailout party’s association with chemtrail conspiracy theories.