New Democracy (Greece)
Greek centre-right political party / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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New Democracy (ND; Greek: Νέα Δημοκρατία, romanized: Néa Dimokratía, IPA: [ˈnea ðimokraˈti.a]) is a liberal-conservative[20][21][22] political party in Greece. In contemporary Greek politics, New Democracy has been the main centre-right[23] political party and one of the two major parties along with its historic rival, the Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK). New Democracy and PASOK were created in the wake of the toppling of the military junta in 1974, ruling Greece in succession for the next four decades. Following the electoral decline of PASOK, New Democracy remained one of the two major parties in Greece, the other being the Coalition of the Radical Left (SYRIZA). The party was founded in 1974 by Konstantinos Karamanlis and in the same year it formed the first cabinet of the Third Hellenic Republic. New Democracy is a member of the European People's Party, the largest European political party since 1999, the Centrist Democrat International,[24] and the International Democracy Union.[25]
New Democracy Νέα Δημοκρατία Néa Dimokratía | |
|---|---|
.svg) | |
| Abbreviation | ND (ΝΔ) |
| President | Kyriakos Mitsotakis |
| Vice Presidents | Adonis Georgiadis[1] Kostis Hatzidakis[1] |
| Secretary | Maria Syrengela |
| Spokesperson | Nikos Romanos |
| Founder | Konstantinos Karamanlis |
| Founded | 4 October 1974; 49 years ago (1974-10-04) |
| Preceded by | National Radical Union Centre Union (partially; unofficial) |
| Student wing | Democratic Renewal Vanguard - New Democratic Student Movement (abbr. ΔΑΠ - ΝΔΦΚ) (universities' organization) Student Independent Movement (abbr. MAKI) (school organization, quasi-dormant) |
| Youth wing | Youth Organisation of New Democracy |
| Foundation | Constantinos Karamanlis Institute for Democracy |
| Trade union wing | Democratic Independent Movement of Workers (ΔΑΚΕ) |
| Ideology | Liberal conservativism Christian democracy |
| Political position | Centre-right[11] to right-wing[12][13][14][15][16][17][18][excessive citations][under discussion] |
| European affiliation | European People's Party |
| International affiliation | Centrist Democrat International International Democracy Union |
| European Parliament group | European People's Party |
| Colours | Blue |
| Slogan | "Steadily, Boldly, Forward" "Σταθερά, Τολμηρά, Μπροστά" |
| Anthem | |
| Parliament | 158 / 300 |
| European Parliament | 6 / 21 |
| Regional governors | 7 / 13 |
| Regional councillors | 227 / 611 |
| Mayors | 25 / 332 |
| Party flag | |
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| Website | |
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The support of New Democracy comes from a wide electorate base ranging from centrists to conservatives and from nationalists to post-modernists. From a geographical perspective, its main support base is in the rural areas of Greece as well as the city centers of Athens and Thessaloniki. Its support is generally weaker in areas like Arta, Achaia and Crete, with the exception of some parts in Chania and Rethymno. Traditionally, New Democracy receives the greatest percentages in Laconia, Messenia, Kastoria and Serres. Having spent four and a half years in opposition to SYRIZA's government, New Democracy regained its majority in the Hellenic Parliament and returned to government under Kyriakos Mitsotakis after the 2019 Greek legislative election. The party secured an absolute majority in Parliament in the June 2023 Greek legislative election.
The party has garnered acclaim for its strides in economic development since 2019, notably emphasizing digitization[26] and post-crisis recovery economics, after delivering economic growth.[27] New Democracy has received accolades for its commitment to liberal reforms and a robust emphasis on pro-Europeanism,[28] successfully securing funds from the European Union to fuel domestic development initiatives.[29] Furthermore, commendation has been extended to the party for effectively reducing both overall unemployment and youth unemployment[30][31] in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.
New Democracy has also faced criticism for its role in the fiscal crisis that engulfed Greece in the late 2000s to the 2010s, as well as its financial management during the 2000s.[32] Numerous academic scholars have highlighted the party's penchant for lacking transparency concerning financial data and resource utilization,[33][34][35][36] which has raised concerns about their accountability as a political entity within the country.[37][38] Moreover, New Democracy has come under fire for its substantial debt to the Greek state, amounting to a staggering 435 million Euros as of 2023.[39][40][41]