Former conservative Prime Minister Antonis Samaras is reportedly moving toward launching a new political party in September, amid indications that Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis intends to keep national elections on schedule for the end of the government’s four-year term.

Recent speculation had suggested Samaras would wait until shortly before the next election to unveil the party. However, people close to the former prime minister now point to several factors behind a potentially accelerated timetable.

According to Samaras’ associates, Mitsotakis’ repeated statement that elections “will not take place in the fall” does not entirely rule out the possibility of a surprise move. They argue that discussion of early elections may have been muted to avoid disrupting the government and triggering tensions within the ruling New Democracy party.

Supporters of the planned party also believe recent polling trends favor an earlier launch. A Pulse survey for Skai found that the share of respondents who said they would “definitely” vote for a Samaras party rose to 5% in July from 3% a month earlier, while another 8% said they would “probably” support it.

Backers argue that if the party approaches double-digit support following its formal launch, it could significantly reshape the political landscape and ease concerns among potential parliamentary candidates.

Some prospective candidates, however, reportedly remain cautious about joining the new party until its electoral strength can be more clearly assessed.

Source: Ekathimerini.com