Main opposition New Democracy (ND) leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis referred to the coming European Parliament elections in May as entailing elements of a "referendum" in Greece, given that his main political rival, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, has repeatedly said he'll exhaust his four-year mandate "to the very last day".
Speaking from the eastern Aegean island of Lesvos (Mytilene), the hardest hit Greek isle from the migrant/refugee crisis that erupted in 2015, Mitsotakis said failure by Tsipras to call a snap election means that the May poll offers an opportunity for Greek voters to send a message to the leftist government, namely, "leave".
Tsipras and his SYRIZA party have fared badly in all mainstream opinion polls over the past two years, with some results showing a double-digit percentage point lead for center-right ND.
While on Lesvos, Mitsotakis toured the Moria "hot spot", his third visit to the overcrowding refugee/migrant shelter.
He also met with local producers, such as stockbreeders, olive farmers, fishermen and spirit makers, as the island is well-known for its products, such as the distilled anise-flavored ouzo.
