New Democracy to confirm list of candidates for Euro elections

Conservative New Democracy is to announce its list of candidates for next month's European elections on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Antonis Samaras, who leads conservative ND, is due to present the list to the party's political committee at 2 p.m.

In the wake of the resignation of Panayiotis Baltakos, a close aide to Samaras who was found to have close links to the neofascist Golden Dawn, New Democracy's list is expected to feature many names appealing to more centrist supporters.

These are likely to include former Greek soccer team captain Theodoris Zagorakis, composer Stavros Xarchakos, professor of medicine Christodoulos Stefanadis, Mega TV political reporter Maria Spyraki and publisher Giorgos Kyrtsos.

Zagorakis suggested that he would run on ND's ticket during a symbolic meeting with Samaras on Monday. "When our country, our homeland, needs us, we are obliged to respond positively to such proposals," Zagorakis said, describing the overture for his candidacy as "an honor."

The list of would-be Euro MPs is also expected to include the MPs Manolis Kefaloyiannis and Costis Mousouroulis and the current Euro MP for LAOS, Niki Tzavela.