Vassilis Economou

All buses and trolleys in Athens will be accessible to people with disabilities by the end of 2025, Deputy Infrastructure and Transport Minister Vassilis Economou said on Friday.

In an apparent bid to broaden their appeal, conservative New Democracy and main leftist opposition SYRIZA have both largely opted for candidates from outside the party fold for their state lists ahead of the elections.

Candidates on the list do not compete for votes in the polls but are elected based on the share of the vote the party receives.

Two of Prime Minister Antonis Samaras?s closest advisers, Chrysanthos Lazaridis and Stavros Papastavros, will not be included on the party?s state list of candidates for the January 25 elections, Kathimerini understands.

Candidates on the state list do not compete for votes in the elections but are elected based on the share of the vote the party receives.

Democratic Left (DIMAR) suggested on Friday that the departure of its MP Vassilis Economou had been a long time coming.

“This closes a long period of troubled relations and clear divergences, which came exclusively as a result of [Economou’s] personal decisions,” said DIMAR after the former PASOK lawmaker announced he was quitting to become an independent.