An ominous message: Mitsotakis shows former PM Samaras the exit

"We have said several times that former prime ministers have the special privilege to express their views and concerns from time to time on issues of politics.

"Mr. Samaras, in his last interview, however, did not express views. He expressed his complete disagreement with the entirety of the government policy being exercised. Furthermore, in an improper and provocative manner, he adopted extreme lies, twisting the statements of the foreign minister which have been repeatedly clarified and analysed," the announcement said.

It also strongly objected to the former premier's unflattering description of the "light-hearted" interactions between the Greek prime minister and Cyprus president with the president of Turkiye and the prime minister of Albania, as well as Samaras' insistence concerning the election of the new Greek president "which is an insult to the person and the institution of the head of state."

"All the above cannot be tolerated or accepted....All those who envision a shrunked ND of about 18% should consider that, with the strategy of Kyriakos Mitsotakis, New Democracy has so far won three national elections with percentages of the order of 40%," it added.

"Consequently, Mr. Samaras with his interview today has placed himself, for the second time after 1993, outside of New Democracy. It was, in any case, what he sought. This time, however, history will not be repeated. The government majority will steadily continue its course without Mr. Samaras. Nobody has the right to play games with the stability of the country in these troubled times," the announcement concluded.

However, the government appears, determined to clearly cut through the scenarios developed for electoral surprise, following the deletion of Antonis Samaras from the party's parliamentary group.

At the PM's office at the Maximou Mansion, they understand the interest caused by this decision, which is a ominous novelty within the New Democracy, as no former prime minister has ever been expelled from the parliamentary group and the party more broadly. But they do not want to get caught up in an endless squable, as a government official puts it, as internal party processes are of little concern to the people. Of course, Samaras’ exit constitutes a major political event both in terms of the character of the New Democracy party and the strategy of Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who wanted to send a message in all directions that he will not be blackmailed.

This is also what the Maximou Mansion believes that Samaras wanted to do by proposing Kosta Karamanlis for the presidency of the Republic, two months before the start of the relevant parliamentary procedure. To “trap” Mr Mitsotakis in a way and lock the government into a thankless debate that would monopolize the news.