New Democracy is not SYRIZA

Conservative New Democracy is a middle-class party with a long tradition; it will never transform into a purely leader-focused party like SYRIZA. SYRIZA, on the other hand, is Alexis Tsipras - nothing more, nothing less.

If Tsipras decided tomorrow morning to change jobs or pursue a fresh career in Brussels, his leftist SYRIZA party would most probably return to its small-party roots of yesteryear.

New Democracy has never been like that, and it never will be. Most importantly, it must never try to follow that model.

Strong conservative leaders such as Constantinos Mitsotakis and Costas Karamanlis respected different views and never sought to impose their own opinion on anyone inside the party.

The former believed in inner-party democracy (a conviction that often came at a cost), while the latter saw himself as first among equals.

SYRIZA therefore has a...