Nea Demokratia Platform

Nea Demokratia: The Rise, Decline, and Future of Greece’s Ruling Party

Apr 3, 2025

Written By: Stephanos

Led by current Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Nea Demokratia has held a dominant position in the Hellenic Parliament since 2019, leaving a profound and lasting impact on modern Greek politics. The party traces its roots back to the aftermath of the Junta’s fall in 1974 when it became the first political party to lead Greece after the restoration of democracy. Nea Demokratia was established by former Prime Minister Konstantinos Karamanlis, with the founding goal of guiding Greek society out of the chaos left in the wake of the Junta’s reign. Karamanlis outlined the party’s early principles in a speech to Greek citizens on October 4, 1974, stating: “New Democracy is the political party that identifies the nation with the people, the homeland with its people, the state with its citizens, national independence with popular sovereignty, progress with the common good, political freedom with the rule of law and social justice.” This charter reflected the attitudes and aspirations of the Greek people following the collapse of the Junta and echoed the party’s namesake: a vision of a New Democracy for a New Greece.