Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis faced a wave of fierce criticism from opposition leaders on Thursday during a heated parliamentary debate on the rule of law.
The government’s standing has come under intense scrutiny following a persistent wiretapping scandal and fresh allegations regarding the EU farm subsidies fraud. While PASOK leader Nikos Androulakis called for snap elections, SYRIZA leader Sokratis Famellos went further, demanding the Prime Minister’s immediate resignation.
Mitsotakis on farm subsidies
Mitsotakis struck back, accusing the opposition of sowing division. He called on the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) to expedite its probe into the farm subsidy scandal, while simultaneously urging the body to desist from “selective leaks” that he claimed undermine national stability.
“The European Public Prosecutor’s Office is respected and is doing its job, but selective leaks and piecemeal investigations are unjustified—especially when they lead to careless conclusions that damage reputations,” the Prime Minister said. His comments referred to recent revelations concerning the alleged roles of several government officials and MPs in the mismanagement of European Union agricultural funding.
Defending his party, Mitsotakis drew a line between constituent service and crime. “There is a difference between an MP helping a citizen and a proven criminal act,” he noted, adding that it was to the credit of 11 New Democracy lawmakers that they voluntarily requested the lifting of their immunity to prove their innocence. “What I ask of the EPPO is to carry out its work swiftly and decide promptly which cases will be brought to trial and which will be dismissed.”
Turning his focus to his political rivals, Mitsotakis accused the opposition of stirring a “toxic cesspool that is drowning society.” He argued that the national focus should remain on geopolitical threats, such as the crises in Iran, Lebanon, and the Middle East, rather than “rehashing causes of division.”
PASOK’s Androulakis: Greece does not resemble a European democracy
However, the opposition was not deterred. Nikos Androulakis, leader of PASOK, placed the blame squarely on the Prime Minister. “You personally bear the responsibility for this unprecedented crisis of institutions and values,” he stated. “For those who support the ‘Maximos system,’ everything is permitted. The image you project does not resemble a European democracy. Do you wish to go down in history as the Greek Nixon or the Greek Orbán? In both cases, the end is the same: the exit.”
Androulakis dismissed Mitsotakis’s calls for unity as hypocritical, labeling the farm subsidy scandal as “deeply blue”—a reference to New Democracy’s party color. He also highlighted recent controversies regarding the academic credentials of Deputy Minister Makarios Lazaridis and accused the Prime Minister of “remorseless” obfuscation regarding the illegal spyware used to monitor journalists and politicians.
He pointed out that the New Democracy government can no longer stand. “The Greek people demand a different mindset. At this point, the only way for the country to breathe is for you to resign and lead us to elections. Political change is the only guarantee of true stability.”
SYRIZA leader Sokratis Famellos echoed these sentiments, calling a vote of no confidence “imperative.” He accused the government of shielding “fraudsters and thieves” of national and EU funds. “There is no doubt that all these scandals begin and end at the Maximos Mansion,” Famellos said. “The only solution is for the government to resign. A progressive government must now take on the heavy national responsibility of rebuilding our country.”
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