Newsroom
Winning over your own party should be the first step toward winning over the country. For DISY, the challenge is making sure that the first contest leaves its voters willing to stand behind the same candidate.
Averof Neofytou and former Health Minister Giorgos Pamboridis are expected to formally submit their candidacies Monday for the party’s nomination for the 2028 presidential election. Members will choose their nominee Nov. 28, setting up a month in which both contenders must demonstrate their support without making the divisions harder to repair.
The central question reaches beyond who collects the most endorsements: Can the winner bring the other candidate’s supporters along?
Neofytou offered a visible demonstration of his backing last week, arriving at DISY headquarters with five boxes containing more than 3,000 supporting signatures—six times the required number. Asked about support from senior figures, the former party leader emphasized his backing among ordinary members.
He also struck a conciliatory tone toward Pamboridis, acknowledging his political standing and describing the contest as a “celebration of democracy.” His message was that the party should emerge united.
Pamboridis, who submitted his supporting signatures Friday, has addressed what accepting the result should mean. Speaking on Alpha television last week, he said it would be unthinkable for a defeated contender to participate in the party process and then run independently for president.
That makes the conduct of the campaign significant. Both men need to persuade members they can win a national election while preserving enough goodwill to campaign together afterward.
An endorsement from former Deputy Welfare Minister Anastasia Anthousi illustrated that balancing act. Backing Pamboridis in an interview with Phileleftheros, she praised his ability to build alliances and turn plans into action. But she also committed to supporting whichever candidate DISY members select.
Relations with President Nikos Christodoulides add another complication. Kathimerini reported that Neofytou discussed former President Nicos Anastasiades’ proposal for reciprocal support between DISY and Christodoulides in a presidential runoff, without appearing opposed. Pamboridis has said cooperation would require repairing the rupture dating to 2023, with decisions resting with the party’s collective bodies.
For voters outside the party, those choices matter because they could shape the alliances and candidates on offer in 2028.
Monday begins the formal contest for the nomination. The harder task will be convincing DISY supporters that, once their votes are counted, they still have a common political home.
