A lot can be said about the new president of New Democracy.
However what cannot be disputed is the clarity of Mr. Mitsotakis’ strategy and aims.
Mr. Mitsotakis is distinguished for the clarity of his perceptions and his direct words.
In other words he is not hiding, nor does he have anything to hide.
Based on traditional principles of politics he might be at a disadvantage.
Given the particular circumstances of the major crisis though, the clarity of choices and aims may turn into an advantage.
The Greek people have heard everything and are disappointed by the lies and brinkmanship. However attractive the many populist voices may be, the people can see the lies and now have the ability to determine how easy promises cannot be kept.
At present Mr. Mitsotakis clearly says that he does not expect elections, but on the contrary he believes that Mr. Tsipras will exhaust all opportunity to remain in power.
He has also predicted that the government will try to gain time, in an effort to reverse the negative conditions.
However, he adamantly believes that the government will not make it and will enter a dragged out period of decline in the fall.
Already he has identified a climate of disappointment and absolute suspicion towards the Tsipras government in society, mostly due to the unreliability and lack of progress in the economy and elsewhere.
The president of New Democracy believes that the Tsipras government has lost the trust of the Greek people. According to him, trust is paramount in order to remain in power in the long term.
As he characteristically says, he will attempt to gain the trust that Mr. Tsipras lost.
And he will not do so by making promises that cannot be kept, but rather by creating a broad front for reforms, an alliance for difficult decisions and choices, capable of convincing society of what is needed in the country.
As he proclaims, he will not attempt to steal the people’s vote, but rather to convince them that salvation will not drop from the sky, but rather it is the result of a sustained, long-term effort.
“I am not the anti-Tsipras, but rather the exact opposite of Tsipras” he claims with absolute sincerity, looking ahead towards a “post-populism” era.
That is the strategy of Mr. Mitsotakis. Clear and direct. And this is how he wants to gain the trust of the Greek people. When the time will come, the people will decide if they want to walk the difficult path of the country’s recovery and reconstruction with him.
As we said, the strategy of Mitsotakis is clear and direct. And that is what distinguishes him from his competitors.
Antonis Karakousis
Originally published in the Sunday print edition
