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Evangelos Meimarakis has resigned from the post of New Democracy interim leader, which he took in the night after the referendum on 5 July, having being proposed by former "blue" leader and Prime Minister until this January Antonis Samaras.

"All my life I have worked for the values ​​of New Democracy and for the party unity, always from the perspective of a fighter. A cynical and immoral attack has been organized against me, in view of the fact that a lot of stress and anxiety are reigning among the party supporters. To reduce this stress I have appointed Yiannis Plakiotakis deputy party chairman and now I am leaving the post of interim leader, retaining my candidacy for New Democracy leader," stressed Meimarakis.

He did not specify whether he would attend the meeting of New Democracy parliamentary group, adding that he would take his decision "in accordance with what the party unity dictates." The Greek media report that the particular meeting will not involve former leaders and Prime Ministers Costas Karamanlis and Antonis Samaras.

After this turn of events, Yiannis Plakiotakis will perform the duties of temporary party leader until the elections, the exact date of which has not yet been determined.

It is worth noting that if Evangelos Meimarakis had not appointed him deputy chairman of New Democracy earlier today, party secretary Andreas Papamimikos would have taken the post of interim leader under the party statutes. Many party members believe he was the main culprit for the failure of the internal party elections last Sunday.