Karamanlis’ measured criticism

The rift inside ruling New Democracy continued to make headlines last week.

Speaking at a book presentation in Patra, former prime minister Kostas Karamanlis kept his distance from the government and took issue with the recent expulsion from ND of former PM and his successor at the helm of the conservatives Antonis Samaras, while calling for unity, both inside the party as well as on a broader national level.

He made known his disagreement with the expulsion of Samaras by noting that “divergent opinions, even intense criticism, should not be demonized. Nor should they be dealt with through disciplinary measures, which only make the necessary national unity to support the national strategy more difficult.”

Following a different approach from Samaras, in terms of both substance and rhetoric, he navigated the fine line between being critical, but at the same time remaining a major personal and ideological pillar of New Democracy, the party founded half a century ago by his uncle Konstantinos Karamanlis.

As has been the case before, Karamanlis’ criticism was measured. Avoiding direct confrontation allows him to continue to signal his opposition to many government policies, on both the domestic and foreign fronts, while maintaining the heavy influence he commands on a considerable number of deputies and a large portion of the ruling party’s voters.

Addressing developments in Europe, he voiced his concern over what he called “unrestrained rights movements” undermining traditional values and identity, and in that way, he appealed to the conservative base of the party.

On relations with Turkey, he criticized the latter for raising “arbitrary and unfounded” claims, including those related to sovereignty and demilitarization of islands. He put an emphasis on approaching all these issues on the basis of international law, while at the same time noting that Turkey’s behavior makes necessary the “buildup of strong armed forces, credible deterrent capabilities, an active multidimensional foreign policy, clear messages to all, and, above all, national unity and consensus.”

Last, but not least, he ruled out a presidential role for himself, which was brought to the forefront by Samaras, who in a recent interview had suggested that Karamanlis would be the perfect choice for head of state. Karamanlis declared that “while the suggestion honors me, I must clarify that the matter neither concerns nor interests me.”

It remains to be seen if his stance on the issue will help or further weaken the government.