Former minister Evangelos Venizelos, one of Greece’s most prominent politicians and lawmakers, on Thursday made what he said was his last address in Parliament, confirming that he will not stand in the coming July 7 snap election.
Venizelos was sidelined last week by the president of the Kimina Allaghis party, the successor to once dominant PASOK party, with Fofi Gennimata picking former Athens mayor Giorgos Kaminis for the party’s top spot in its state deputies’ list – a spot that guarantees that Kaminis will be elected to Parliament without having to vie for individual votes from voters who cast a ballot for the Kinima party.
Venizelos has served as foreign minister and finance minister, among others, including an all-important stint as the junior coalition partner as a deputy premier in the Samaras government between 2013 and 2015. He was also the president of PASOK.
“I will not be a member of the next Parliament, I am and will continue to be on the front lines and an active citizen. I believe this is very important for a citizen to do in a democracy, as ours,” he said in his farewell address.
