Greece’s main opposition leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Thursday reiterated the need for structural reforms in the crisis-battered country, during contacts on the sidelines of the European People’s Party (EPP) summit on Malta, including a meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
The New Democracy (ND) president continued his contacts with Europe’s center-right leaders by also meeting with EU Council President Donald Tusk.
In a nod towards the domestic political situation in Greece, the pro-reform former minister said a necessary condition to implement such reforms is a “credible government … one that believes in the European idea and the need to restart the Greek economy.”
Earlier, he met with European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management Christos Stylianides, where the latest developments on the Cyprus issue were discussed.
Afterwards, Mitsotakis met with Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz, with discussion focusing directly on the situation in the western Balkans. Both men expressed concern over the recent instability in the specific region, whereas it was agreed that Mitsotakis will visit Austria in the near future.
The situation in the western Balkans and Brexit were discussed with Merkel, according to reports.
On Wednesday, speaking at the same summit, Mitsotakis reiterated that Greece, where populism first triumphed in Europe over the recent period, as he maintained, will be the first to break away from the orbit of populism, i.e. ND’ electoral victory over radical leftist SYRIZA and its small rightist-populist coalition partner.
