In response to SYRIZA leader Stefanos Kasselakis’ request for early elections, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis stressed Tuesday that national elections will be held at the end of his government’s four-year term.

Speaking in Thessaloniki while on the campaign trail for June’s European elections, Mitsotakis derided Kasselakis for contradicting himself, noting that the SYRIZA leader has set “17% as his electoral leverage” and recognizes “that he will be a second party while at the same time asking for national elections.” “We will not do him a favor, national elections will be held at the end of the four years and in the European elections, New Democracy will be the dominant political force again,” Mitsotakis added. 

Government officials said that Kasselakis, either unintentionally or due to political inexperience, simply confirmed, with his contradiction, ruling ND’s argument that his proposals would lead to the destabilization of Greece and “all he cares about is nothing but the communication management of his party and his personal development.” Government sources told Kathimerini that Mitsotakis will continue to hammer home this contradiction on all his tours, to make it as clear as possible that Kasselakis is governed by political adventurism.