Attica Regional Governor announces he will not stand in upcoming elections

The Regional Governor of Attica Giorgios Patoulis announced on Monday that he would not be standing in the upcoming local elections after New Democracy, who supported him in the previous election, endorsed current Deputy Defense Minister Nikos Hardalias.

A video of Patoulis dancing at an event during the recent wildfires was understood to have caused significant dissatisfaction within the ruling party.

"Throughout my tenure in politics and local governance, I have always supported the correct government decisions of all the New Democracy governments," he said in a statement announcing that he would not be running, adding that "over the last four years, as Attica Regional Governor, I collaborated effectively with the government of Kyriakos Mitsotakis".

"I remain loyal to the values and principles of my party. New Democracy is in my heart, it is not for me an ...