Greece's ruling New Democracy party has formally entered pre-election mode, dispatching ministers and officials across the country and launching an aggressive candidate recruitment drive aimed at renewing up to 75 percent of its legislative ballots ahead of the spring 2027 general elections.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis fired the starting gun during his recent Rhodes tour, directing party machinery to begin ground operations immediately. Officials are fanning out nationwide armed with a booklet of government achievements and a third-term platform, with a particular focus on districts where polling shows the party has lost ground.
A core scouting committee led by prime ministerial adviser Thanasis Nezis is hunting for fresh, untainted public figures to inject into candidate lists, with priority given to local government figures who carry strong municipal support. New Democracy Director Giannis Smyrlis and Organizational Secretary Stelios Kontadakis are leading the field evaluations.
Party General Secretary Konstantinos Kyranakis is overseeing the candidate selection process, targeting a renewal rate modeled on the party's recently elected Political Committee — where half the new members are under 45.
Mr. Kyranakis is scheduled to begin a tour of regional districts next week to finalize secondary lists.
Several high-profile figures have already been confirmed for central metropolitan constituencies, including government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis, Digital Governance Minister Dimitris Papastergiou and Energy Secretary Alexandra Sdoukou.
The mobilization reflects the party's awareness that after two consecutive election victories, a third term cannot be taken for granted — particularly with opposition parties regrouping and cost-of-living pressures continuing to weigh on voters.
By Penny Avramidi