First things first
Following two electoral victories this year, New Democracy has no reason to worry about its future as a party, unlike opposition PASOK. That is not to say that ND’s party convention – scheduled for July 23 – will not be of interest. Whether it will depends upon the ND leadership’s goals and expectations. If ND rests content with using the convention to sort out a few administrative matters and make a few structural changes to certain party bodies, and if it is eager for a major debate on the party’s relationship with the government, then the convention is unlikely to arouse the interest of the Greek public. Indeed, there are few people whose interest is still aroused by the internal problems of a political party. For these internal problems to become interesting, the party must first have determined its political goals on the basis of certain ideological principles. But for the moment, ND doesn’t seem to be attributing much significance to this matter… What is of major concern to top party officials at the moment is how to create a closer bond with social groups so that citizens’ problems and demands can be conveyed to the government in a timely fashion – without the line between party and State becoming blurred…
