Lawyer Georgios I. Matsos has argued that Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis should resign now to prevent an inevitable political collapse.
Writing in an opinion piece for Capital.gr published on August 6, 2026, Doctor of Law Georgios I. Matsos stated that knowing when to step down defines a leader's legacy, party, ideology, and political family. Matsos cited the ancient saying that the end honors the beginning to emphasize the moral and practical political weight of a leader's departure strategy.
Historical Lessons from Monarchy and Early Leaders
Matsos highlighted several historical examples from modern Greek politics to illustrate his point. He noted that King Constantine resigned from the throne in 1917, preserving his reputation among supporters and enabling a triumphant return in November 1920. Similarly, Eleftherios Venizelos called elections in 1920 despite predictions of defeat, transferring the burden of implementing the Treaty of Sevres to his opponents. This move preserved Venizelos's political myth and allowed him to resume governance after the Asia Minor Catastrophe.
However, Matsos observed that Venizelos failed to recognize his 1932 election defeat as final. A series of subsequent coups led to Venizelos being sentenced to death in absentia and ultimately restored the crowned democracy. According to Matsos, Venizelos was saved historically by the generosity of his political opponents and by unresisted history distortion following the rise of PASOK in 1981.
Postwar Returns and Junta Miscalculations
In the postwar era, Konstantinos Karamanlis understood the timing of his departure in 1963. Matsos explained that Karamanlis realized he could not survive politically if burdened by the deep state of that era, thereby preserving his myth for a triumphant return in 1974. In contrast, leaders of the April 1967 junta failed to step down, confusing the lack of mass domestic opposition with popular approval, only to be swept away by a silent tsunami after losing power.
Matsos contrasted the Greek junta with Turkish 1980 coup leader Kenan Evren, who quickly transferred power to civilian politicians rather than holding it himself. As a result, Evren was honored as a second Ataturk until his death. Meanwhile, Andreas Papandreou was the sole Greek leader who correctly refused to step down, accurately assessing his strength in society and PASOK before returning triumphantly to power in 1993.
Transitional Steps in Modern Greek Politics
Matsos noted that Konstantinos Mitsotakis also knew when to step down following the fall of his government in 1993. The anger of his supporters combined with a timely exit created a political myth, allowing him to co-govern during the period of Costas Simitis while his children inherited the collective memory of a lost opportunity. Costas Simitis similarly recognized when his leadership harmed his party, handing PASOK to founder's son George Papandreou while maintaining his reputation among modernization supporters.
Former Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis stepped down at the right time in 2009, according to Matsos, but made self-destructive errors. Karamanlis did not campaign dynamically in the 2009 elections, remained silent about the causes of the first Memorandum, and supported Alexis Tsipras without offering convincing denials. Antonis Samaras made a strategic error by remaining after his January 2015 election defeat, but his resignation on the night of the July 5, 2015 referendum at Karamanlis's demand saved his legacy and allowed him to hope to found a new party at age 75.
Critical Assessment of Recent Party Leaders
Alexis Tsipras clearly failed to understand when to leave, according to Matsos. Tsipras stayed as leader of SYRIZA thinking he was Andreas Papandreou, sabotaged normal succession processes, and attempted to engineer a later return. Matsos stated that Tsipras's erratic ideological shifts between rebranding and referencing ELAS, combined with a lack of specific social expectations, portended a poor trajectory for his party regardless of poll numbers.
Warning to Current Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis
Turning to current Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Matsos asked whether the leader should step down immediately. Matsos argued that if Kyriakos Mitsotakis had implemented the Truth Pact changes promised in 2019, much like Andreas Papandreou fulfilled his promises, he could reasonably hope for long-term governance. However, because the prime minister's primary argument relies on claiming there is no alternative, his appeal is based on a negative vote rather than positive support, rendering him politically finished.
Matsos stated that society is seeking a political alternative even if one is not yet visible. Relying on poll numbers during an election crisis would prove to be a crushing illusion worse than Tsipras's experience between 2019 and 2023. Matsos warned that the prime minister's main weapon is an obvious institutional, communicational, and financial statism, which will only make his future fall more deafening. Greeks traditionally abhor statism, and Matsos suggested that even individuals who benefit directly or indirectly from the Mitsotakis system may vote against the government.
Matsos concluded that Tsipras's mistake in remaining after 2019 is a minor offense compared to Kyriakos Mitsotakis's insistence on holding power under current conditions, which is further amplified into dynastic rule by heavy media exposure of his family. Matsos noted that the prime minister has not learned from his father, who stepped down genuinely and allowed internal opponent Miltiadis Evert to lead New Democracy. While Matsos stated it is not too late for the prime minister and his family, he expressed fear that an innate dynastic mentality will prevent the right decision from being made.
