Greek Prime Minister and President of New Democracy Kyriakos Mitsotakis will travel to Valencia, Spain, on Tuesday, April 29, to participate in the Congress of the European People’s Party (EPP).
The two-day gathering (29-30 April) will determine the leadership of the European center-right for the coming three years. The Congress will elect the new EPP Presidency, including the President, Vice-Presidents, Secretary General and Treasurer.
The prime minister will be accompanied by Minister Kostis Hatzidakis, who is currently serving as Deputy Prime Minister in the Second Cabinet of Mitsotakis and will be standing as a candidate for the position of Vice President of the EPP.
Deliberations at the congress are expected to center on pressing European challenges, including collective security and defense, economic competitiveness, and the safeguarding of democratic institutions.
The discussions come at a pivotal moment, as the European Union moves forward with the implementation of its ReArm initiative—part of a broader strategy to reinforce Europe’s deterrence capabilities and bolster the continent’s defense industry.
Greece, which is one of the few EU countries and NATO members that has been allocating more than 2% of its GDP for defense purposes, has played a leading role in these efforts, particularly in advocating for greater fiscal flexibility to facilitate the strategy’s execution.
On the sidelines of the congress, the Greek prime minister is scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with key European leaders, including Germany’s Chancellor-elect Friedrich Merz, Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo, and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson.
