By Antonis Samaras, former Prime Minister of Greece

This is no longer a government of New Democracy. It is the government of Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and the leadership of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs—Giorgos Gerapetritis, Alexandra Papadopoulou, and Tasos Chatzivasileiou—have, by most accounts, failed in foreign policy. The doctrine of the “Yes Men.”

Global developments are rapid and alarming. The international system is undergoing transformation, marked by two main characteristics. First, we are heading toward a change of borders—if not de jure, then certainly de facto. Second, the emerging global order is becoming a hybrid of bipolarity (U.S.–China) with elements of tripolarity (Russia). At the same time, significant regional and local geopolitical actors (such as India, Pakistan, Indonesia, Brazil, Iran, Turkey, Israel) are operating with much greater degrees of freedom than in the past.

Such combinations create an unstable, highly competitive environment filled with both vast opportunities and enormous risks.

We are living through a period in history when revisionist powers, large and small, sensing “windows of opportunity,” are attempting to realize their ambitions.

What is our homeland’s position within this geopolitical “perfect storm”? What is the doctrine of our current foreign policy? What does Greece seek in a world that is changing?

Greece is on the sidelines. Entirely absent. Hellenism is under pressure—on all fronts. We are retreating or simply not present. As if we’ve abandoned our national foreign policy, our national issues. Although we could take advantage of current circumstances, we don’t. On the contrary!

Just days ago, the Prime Minister visited Germany. He met with the newly elected, but deeply politically wounded at home, Chancellor Merz. Merz, despite Germany’s own extensive criticisms of Turkey, publicly expressed—with “political cynicism”—his desire for EU–Turkey defense cooperation. Germany, of course, supplies Turkey with arms—not without benefit, naturally. In other words, Germany, a core EU member, advocates cooperation with a country that is not only outside the EU but often directly opposed to European policy on several fronts, such as the Ukraine issue.

Above all, Germany is calling for cooperation with Turkey, a country that illegally occupies 40% of the territory of another EU member state, Cyprus! A country that, in defiance of international law, threatens war against yet another EU country, Greece, should we exercise our legal right to extend our territorial waters to 12 nautical miles.

Instead of seizing the opportunity and publicly responding to Germany that such positions contradict every principle of morality and political logic, the Greek Prime Minister reacted with appeasement—merely requesting… new rules be considered.

But it didn’t stop there. When Chancellor Merz publicly asked that Greece accept the readmission of thousands of illegal migrants from Germany, the Prime Minister expressed his “understanding” of Germany’s problem. “Whatever you say…”

The Prime Minister also traveled to Italy. A few weeks prior, Italy had signed defense agreements with Turkey. Yet instead of expressing firm objections or concerns, Greece remained silent—even though Italy was in a vulnerable position following the involvement of the Italian-owned Hellenic Train in the Tempi train tragedy. And what was the outcome of the meeting? New commercial agreements regarding trains—with the same company whose responsibilities, the Prime Minister himself had said, would be investigated. “Whatever you say…” in Italy too.

In our neighborhood, it’s the same—or worse. The Prime Minister of North Macedonia declares at every international forum that the “Macedonian issue” remains unresolved and must be reopened to deliver “historical justice” to Skopje. Clearly implying vindication of Skopjan irredentism. And what do we do? We watch silently. “Whatever you say…”

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, who illegally imprisoned Beleri and persecutes the Greek minority, makes ahistorical claims about the Chams while campaigning freely in Greece. Not only was he not disturbed by anyone, but the Greek government is leading the push for Albania’s accession to the EU. “Whatever you say…” again.

The Greece–Cyprus–Israel energy agreement has been “temporarily” abandoned. To the point where a bilateral agreement between Cyprus and Israel was signed without even a mention of Greece! We were absent—so as not to disturb the “Calm Waters” and the “Friendship” recently signed with Turkey… We saw it even in Kasos!

Recep Tayyip Erdoğan visited occupied Cyprus to inaugurate the “presidential palace” of the pseudo-state and brazenly declared that Turkey would never leave the island. And Greece? The motherland and guarantor power—how did it respond? It simply didn’t! Because I cannot accept that an unsigned comment by “diplomatic sources” of the Foreign Ministry counts as a serious country’s response…

Absent in the Aegean, absent in the Eastern Mediterranean. We didn’t even dare submit a complete map for Marine Spatial Planning—something that concerns only the EU—a gap that Ankara is now exploiting.

Absent too from developments in Syria, where we should have been deeply engaged with Israel, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, India, and the UAE. Instead, we leave room for the U.S. to recognize Turkey as part of the solution in the Middle East…

Absent on the Cyprus issue as well. No initiatives. No foreign policy realignment. Absolutely nothing. “Whatever you say…” everywhere and with everyone.

Obviously, this is not a serious foreign policy. And it reflects a country that is not taken seriously by anyone.

And it shows.

And among everything else, we managed the impossible: to have no dialogue with Russia—but also none with the new U.S. administration…!

Despite this, we are not “concerned.” And we do not engage. We only focus on “communication.”

But the real problem is that no one engages with us either! We are not even invited to discussions on matters directly related to our region and our interests. Even though Greece is geopolitically one of the most important areas at the crossroads of global developments. Does this contradiction trouble any of the “competent” authorities?

We are the “Absent Ones.” Except… for the Foreign Ministry leadership’s presence in Turkey. One, the minister of “let them call me a traitor,” endlessly praises Turkey and receives accolades from the Turks wherever he goes! And the other, the new deputy minister, delivers official speeches… in Turkish!

Is this, then, the new doctrine of our foreign policy? “Whatever you say” and “calm waters”?

Excuse me, but who decided this, and when? Who determined that our homeland would follow a policy of utter appeasement? Who has given approval for Greece’s international absence and devaluation? Parliament? The Greek people? Certainly not! We said different things in 2023, before the elections.

This policy does not reflect the ideas or concerns of the Greek people as a whole!

And in any case, such a mandate was never given to the government by New Democracy’s electoral base.

But then again, as I said before, this is no longer a New Democracy government.

It is a government of Kyriakos Mitsotakis.