Government spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis responded strongly, rejecting her claims and pointing out that Latinopoulou’s affiliation with far-right European groups, like those of Viktor Orbán and Marine Le Pen, disqualifies her from representing New Democracy. Marinakis emphasized that ND wouldn’t tolerate “side-swipes” from fringe parties or allow anyone to redefine its identity.
Greece
New Democracy draws line against Latinopoulou - Refocusing on PASOK as main opponent
For a long time, New Democracy (ND) followed a strategy of not engaging directly with parties to its right, such as Kyriakos Velopoulos’ Greek Solution. However, this approach changed recently regarding Afroditi Latinopoulou, leader of the “Voice of Reason” party, after she criticized Kyriakos Mitsotakis for having a “leftist soul” and claimed to represent the “true ND.” Latinopoulou had previously aligned herself with former ND prime ministers Samaras and Karamanlis, fueling speculation about her political aspirations.