Kostis Efstathiou mulls EDEK presidency bid

Kostis Efstathiou has announced he will decide within ten days whether to contest the presidency of the EDEK party during the upcoming electoral congress in December. Speaking to the POLcast, Efstathiou expressed reservations about leading a party currently plagued by prolonged internal friction, centralism, and nepotism. He emphasized that the party has become detached from society and urgently requires a change in mentality and a renewal of its public image to return to effective policy production.

Efstathiou criticized the recent statutory congress as hasty, though he acknowledged the resulting changes as a limited step in the right direction. He firmly advocates for EDEK to pursue an autonomous path during future presidential elections rather than aligning with Nikos Christodoulides. Potential contenders in the December leadership race include Sofia Christodoulou Makri and likely Marios Hannidis. Efstathiou noted that he had previously suggested a co-presidency arrangement with Makri to address the party's current stagnation. The party remains in a state of ongoing internal evaluation as it prepares for the December elections.