Greece’s ruling party debates calling early election this fall

“Our country will only escape this dystopia through elections,” Pasok leader Nikos Androulakis told the country’s parliament earlier this year.

The government officials say a final decision will be made at the end of the summer. Greece takes over the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU in July 2027, which means a government will need to be formed before then. It is likely that more than one electoral round will be needed to form a new administration.

If New Democracy does ultimately choose early elections, they will probably be held after the prime minister’s speech at the Thessaloniki International Fair in early September. The speech serves as Greece’s unofficial “State of the Union” address and could allow Mitsotakis to present pre-election sweeteners like tax cuts and other financial supports.

For now, the polls suggest no party has the 37 percent to 40 percent support that would be needed to form a majority government.

But there are other signs New Democracy is laying the ground for an election.

Mitsotakis announced a mini cabinet reshuffle last week, with four new appointments across three ministries. Konstantinos Kyranakis, a 39-year-old hard-line politician who served as deputy infrastructure minister, was appointed secretary general of New Democracy on Wednesday.