New Democracy

If Turkey wishes to come closer to Europe and make an opening to the West, Greek-Turkish dialog must resume, New Democracy leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who is leading the polls ahead of Sunday's parliamentary elections, said on Wednesday.

The winner of Sunday's Greek elections will likely be Kyriakos Mitsotakis - but just as important for the future of Greek democracy is who loses, as the country risks being left without a real opposition.

In combining elements of the centre and the right, New Democracy leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis has created the kind of appeal that his rivals currently cannot match.

If the combined vote of the parties that will remain outside of Parliament in the June 25 election is between 6% and 9%, the crucial threshold for New Democracy in order to win a "safe" outright majority (in the region of 158 seats) will be 40%. 

ND leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis wants his party to win a "safe majority" of 158 seats in order to govern with stability.

New Democracy is clearly concerned that if the ultranationalist Niki party makes it into the next Parliament, it could gnaw away at the conservatives' majority, and this concern has prompted an effort to repatriate part of the far-right vote and redefine the party's agenda.

The New Democracy party, which is poised to win the June 25 election, is planning for a more flexible pension reduction regime for retirees who still want to work, with the aim of legalizing their employment, but also of staffing businesses that are unable to fill job vacancies with experienced employees.

Yiannis Markopoulos, one of Greece's most influential composers, was laid to rest on Thursday after a funeral service held at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens. 

New Democracy leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis reiterated on Wednesday his pledge to include more women in his cabinet if he is re-elected in the June 25 election. "I have pledged that we will have many more women in the next cabinet," the ND president said.

SYRIZA - Progressive Alliance President Alexis Tsipras accused New Democracy leader and prime minister at the time Kyriakos Mitsotakis of lying and saying that he informed him before the election about alleged machinations of the Turkish consulate in the region of Rhodope in support of Muslim SYRIZA candidates.

New Democracy leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis has made the decision to postpone Wednesday's campaign rally in the western port city of Patra following the devastating shipwreck that occurred overnight off the town of Pylos.