Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has proposed the Speaker of the Parliament Kostas Tasoulas for the post of President of the Republic, he revealed in a message to citizens.

In detail, Mitsotakis said:

"I share with you today my thoughts on the top constitutional institution. At the same time, I am announcing the proposal of the New Democracy for the person who will be called upon to serve it. Because citizens need to know, to judge arguments and thus become shareholders in all developments in public life.

The President of the Republic must have high prestige, broad acceptance and, of course, experience, knowledge and practical respect for the institutions. Wider acceptance, however, does not necessarily mean a proposal beyond the majority of the government of the day. On the contrary, it means a person who inspires confidence in society, who has the ability to compose and unite.

For the head of state may have limited executive powers, but he is the symbol of the nation. In relation to his high mission, therefore, his political starting point is of less importance. On the other hand, neither the different origins of the President and the Prime Minister guarantee constitutional balance, nor does their political coincidence by definition create institutional risk. Our Constitution provides all the guarantees, and history also shows that it is persons who ultimately give value to institutions.

Indeed, given the unifying mission of the President of the Republic, I believe that he should be elected for a single 6-year term. That way, the debate about renewing his tenure would not, every now and then, open up a dance of controversy. And the institution would stay away from partisan considerations. This is a position that we will propose to Parliament during the forthcoming constitutional review.

It is with a sense of responsibility that I announce that the proposal of the New Democracy regarding the next President of the Republic will be Constantine Tasoulas, the current Speaker of the Parliament and the third ranking statesman of the country. His wide acceptance is evident from the fact that he was elected President of the Greek Parliament three times with the strongest majority in the post-election period: with 283, 270 and 249 votes. While his unifying spirit and compositional qualities have, I think, also been demonstrated by the admittedly impeccable way in which he has, so far, conducted the work of the Parliament in a very difficult party landscape.

Costas Tasoulas has also served the country as Mayor, as a Member of Parliament for 25 years, and as a Minister. He is therefore well aware of the weight of the responsibility he is called upon to assume. At the same time, his Epirus origin and his student years at the Tositsa Foundation have armed him with the power of self-made man. They also triggered his special interest in the problems facing the Greek periphery, for every citizen in every corner of the territory. 

He also possesses a rich culture and a deep knowledge of Greek history, true patriotism and a character of integrity, with social sensitivity and a genuine simplicity and modesty. It is no coincidence that, although present for years on the front line, he was never interested in crafting his own communication profile. All this, therefore, is a guarantee of an excellent mandate".