Former Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras responded Thursday to a suggestion from his political rival, Evangelos Venizelos, to withdraw from active politics.
In comments to reporters, Samaras said he remains “present and active, no matter how much it bothers some.” He added, “I tell Evangelos with much love that his path is different from mine. I will stay in the arena as long as I can.”
Venizelos, a former deputy prime minister with PASOK, had suggested during a recent conference that Samaras consider stepping back from day-to-day politics, following his own decision to do so. “I have distanced myself from active politics because I believe it is a more substantive way of engaging with political life,” Venizelos said. He further remarked, “Given our shared history, I would suggest with much love that Samaras might want to consider following the same path.”
Samaras also criticized the recent appointment of Nikos Tsafos as deputy minister for energy, calling it “unbelievable, unprecedented and unacceptable.”
In November, Samaras was expelled from New Democracy, the party he led as prime minister from 2012 to 2015, due to internal conflicts.