Greek PM: ‘I would like to see ND win the elections in 2027’

A painting by Konstantinos Parthenis of the Virgin Mary and Child, combining a sense of piety with fluid Art Nouveau forms, looks over Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis as he works on the puzzle of governance at his desk. "It's the Virgin, in a modern version. This painting could be said to encompass the history of modern Greece," he remarks. It could equally encompass the history of his New Democracy party, a combination of the classic and the modern, the right and the center, innovative digital governance tools and the fence at the Evros border, investment grade and private universities.

Indeed, it is a painting offering many interpretations, but what does it mean to the prime minister himself? Is he seeking a divine blessing or is it a double entendre, reaching out to both the liberal and the religious Right? There appears to be a discreet inclination for religious faith...