New center-right party has no ties to ex PM, Rousopoulos says

A new center-right party involving two former conservative ministers has no ties to ex prime minister Costas Karamanlis, his former press minister, Theodoros Rousopoulos, said Thursday.

Savvas Tsitouridis and Nikos Tsiartsionis, both of whom served as ministers in the conservative government that ruled Greece between 2004-2009, have signed the manifesto of the new party, known as the Network of Greek Radicals, which was launched Tuesday on the thirteenth anniversary of Karamanlis's first election victory.

"It is true that the two briefly served as ministers in the Karamanlis administration. It is also true that they have decided to create their own party; but this has nothing to do with Costas Karamanlis," Rousopoulos told North 98 radio station in Thessaloniki, northern Greece.

Rousopoulos said that under the leadership of Kyriakos Mitsotakis, New Democracy has...