ATHENS, GREECE (AP) — Former Greek Prime Minister and lawmaker Antonis Samaras was expelled from the ruling New Democracy party over his persistent criticism of government policies.
Samaras, 73, a hard-line nationalist, has criticized Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ approach to negotiations with Turkey, which he has likened to appeasement. He also strongly disapproved of government policy that he considered too “centrist” or “woke,” especially the decision to legislate in favor of same-sex marriage earlier this year.
The government appeared particularly irked by a Samaras interview to be published in Sunday newspaper To Vima in which he called for the ouster of Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis over his conduct of negotiations with Turkey.
“Mr. Samaras ... did not just express opinions. He expressed his complete disagreement with all governing policies. Moreover, he adopted extreme lies (about the foreign minister) in an unbecoming and provocative manner,” said government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis in announcing Samaras’ expulsion Saturday afternoon.
Samaras responded in a lengthy statement, saying, “Arrogance and loss of nerve explain Mitsotakis' move. Cut off from the party base, he is leading a party that scarcely resembles New Democracy.”
It is not the first time that Samaras has clashed with a Mitsotakis. In 1992, then-Prime Minister Constantine Mitsotakis, father of the current premier, dismissed Samaras as foreign minister over policy differences regarding the name dispute with what was then the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, the present North Macedonia.
In 1993, Samaras and a few like-minded lawmakers left New Democracy, bringing down the Mitsotakis government and ushering in more than 10 years of socialist rule. Samaras founded his own short-lived party, Political Spring.
Samaras succeeded former Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis as head of the conservatives in 2009, but left the post after an electoral defeat in 2015.
“This time, history will not repeat itself. The government majority continues its course, without Mr. Samaras,” said the governent spokesman. “No one has the right to mess with the country’s stability in these troubled times,” said Marinakis.
The ruling conservatives have a slight majority in Parliament, with 155 lawmakers out of 300. But Samaras has a number of supporters among that group, as does the now retired Karamanlis.
In the interview, Samaras proposed Karamanlis should replace President Katerina Sakellaropoulou, a left-of-center former judge whose five-year term ends in early 2025. She had been elected by Parliament with Mitsotakis' backing.
FILE - Former Prime Minister Antonis Samaras delivers a speech during a parliament session in Athens, Feb. 21, 2018. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis, File)
U.S. Open runner-up Taylor Fritz reached another big final at the ATP Finals by beating Alexander Zverev 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (3) on Saturday.
Fritz became the first American finalist at the elite eight-man event since James Blake lost the 2006 final to Roger Federer.
The last American to win the trophy was Pete Sampras in 1999.
“I trust my game and I trust my level and I don’t feel nearly as uncomfortable in these situations anymore because I’ve been I've been playing the top guys at big events a lot lately,” Fritz said. “I’m getting more comfortable in the moment. I’m really, really confident in my game.”
In Sunday’s final, Fritz will face top-ranked Jannik Sinner — the player he lost to in the U.S. Open final — or Casper Ruud, who were playing later.
Sinner also beat Fritz in straight sets in the group stage this week.
Fritz's run in New York made him the first American man to reach a Grand Slam singles final in 15 years. He's playing at the finals for the second time. On debut two years ago, he beat Rafael Nadal in his opener and made it to the semifinals, losing to Novak Djokovic.
“It’s awesome to come back and already go a step further,” Fritz said. “I’m all about always trying to do better than the year before.”
At the start of the week, Fritz told The Associated Press in an interview that his “career has always been a very steady progression and just improving a little bit each year.”
It was Fritz’s fourth consecutive victory over Zverev, who replaced Carlos Alcaraz at No. 2 in the rankings this week.
Fritz, who is No. 5, also beat Zverev at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open, plus the Laver Cup.
It was a matchup of big servers between the 6-foot-5 (1.96-meter) Fritz and the 6-foot-6 (1.98-meter) Zverev, and when Fritz broke Zverev for 4-2 in the first set, it marked the first time that Zverev lost a service game in four matches in Turin.
Eventually, though, the match turned into a physical duel from the baseline. Fritz rallied from 0-40 and held his serve for 3-2 in the third after a nine-minute game full of long rallies – winning one such exchange that lasted 30 strokes.
Fritz was then under pressure one service game after another but somehow managed to keep holding.
Fritz got ahead early in the tiebreaker and finished Zverev off with an audacious inside-out forehand winner on his first match point.
“I lose at least one of those (break) points and that’s probably it,” Fritz said. “That’s how it kind of goes with playing Sascha. Whoever takes their chances between the two of us is going to win the match just because you don’t get too many and we’re both big servers.”
Fritz finished with 15 aces to Zverev's 10 in a match that last 2 hours, 20 minutes.
Zverev, the finals champion in 2018 and 2021, entered the semifinals on an eight-match winning streak after taking the Paris Masters.
AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis
Taylor Fritz of the United States celebrates after winning the ATP World Tour Finals semifinal tennis match against Germany's Alexander Zverevat at the Inalpi Arena in Turin, Italy, Saturday, November 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)
Taylor Fritz of the United States celebrates after winning the ATP World Tour Finals semifinal tennis match against Germany's Alexander Zverevat at the Inalpi Arena in Turin, Italy, Saturday, November 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)
Taylor Fritz of the United States celebrates after winning the ATP World Tour Finals semifinal tennis match against Germany's Alexander Zverevat at the Inalpi Arena in Turin, Italy, Saturday, November 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)
Taylor Fritz of the United States reacts during a semifinal tennis match against Germany's Alexander Zverev at the ATP World Tour Finals at the Inalpi Arena in Turin, Italy, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)
Taylor Fritz of the United States reacts during a semifinal tennis match against Germany's Alexander Zverev at the ATP World Tour Finals at the Inalpi Arena in Turin, Italy, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)
Germany's Alexander Zverev reacts during the semifinal tennis match against Taylor Fritz of the United States at the ATP World Tour Finals at the Inalpi Arena in Turin, Italy, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)
Germany's Alexander Zverev returns to Taylor Fritz of the United States during their semifinal tennis match of the ATP World Tour Finals at the Inalpi Arena in Turin, Italy, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)
Germany's Alexander Zverev watches a video review during the semifinal tennis match against Taylor Fritz of the United States at the ATP World Tour Finals at the Inalpi Arena in Turin, Italy, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)
Germany's Alexander Zverev returns to Taylor Fritz of the United States during their semifinal tennis match of the ATP World Tour Finals at the Inalpi Arena in Turin, Italy, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)
Taylor Fritz of the United States returns to Germany's Alexander Zverev during their semifinal tennis match of the ATP World Tour Finals at the Inalpi Arena in Turin, Italy, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)
Taylor Fritz of the United States reacts during a semifinal tennis match against Germany's Alexander Zverev at the ATP World Tour Finals at the Inalpi Arena in Turin, Italy, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)
