Vangelis Meimarakis

Main opposition leader Vangelis Meimarakis said the conservative New Democracy party would not give the government its vote of confidence during a speech on Wednesday, the last day of the three-day parliamentary debate on the government’s policy statements.

Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras responded to comments made by interim New Democracy party leader Vangelis Meimarakis in Greek Parliament during a three-day debate the government’s policy statements culminating with a vote of confidence at dawn on Thursday. Tsipras said that the country needs constructive criticism from the opposition parties, not sterile contradiction leading to nowhere.

The main opposition New Democracy party’s interim president Vangelis Meimarakis on Thursday officially announced his bid for the party’s leadership in the upcoming internal elections.

Outspoken conservative New Democracy deputy and former minister Adonis Georgiadis is the third contender for the party’s helm, announcing his candidacy on Monday evening.

Georgiadis is a relative newcomer to ND, arriving from the rightist-populist LA.OS party before it collapsed in the 2012 election. He represents the right-wing of the party.

The race is on for a leader of the main opposition New Democracy party with candidacies being gathered from noon on Friday, September 25, until 6 p.m. on Friday, October 2. Speculation is rife, however the only conservative candidate that has so far outwardly expressed an interest in the leadership is Kyriakos Mitsotakis who announced his candidacy on Wednesday.

The European Commission has warned 19 EU member-states against failure to implement rules on handling waves of asylum seekers now flooding Europe.

European Commission Vice President Frans Timmermans issued the warning as EU leaders gathered in Brussels for an emergency summit on the refugee/migrant crisis on Wednesday.

Conservative New Democracy leader Vangelis Meimarakis met with the secretary of the ND political committee, Andreas Papamimikos, on Monday night. During their meeting it was decided to kick off procedures for the election of a new party leader as soon as possible.

SYRIZA of former Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has earned 35.3% of Sunday's early elections in Greece - the biggest share of the vote, Interior Ministry data reveals.

Current results, with 20 percent of votes counted (as of 21:30 EEST/20:30 CEST) a few hours after polls closed, also suggest a coalition government will be needed.

Greeks are heading to the polls for the third time this year on Sunday. The government elected will lead the country as it implements the bailout deal that former prime minister Alexis Tsipras signed in August. The deal – contrary to the package of austerity measures that the majority of Greeks voted against- caused turbulence within SYRIZA.

Early voters in Greece were thin on the ground on Sept.20 to elect a government they will entrust with the daunting task of steering the country through painful bailout reforms and meeting the challenge of a growing refugee crisis.