SYRIZA is demanding a motion of no confidence against the government and early elections following developments in the OPEKEPE case, based on information suggesting the entire affair involves 20 New Democracy officials. What’s striking is that while this was the official position expressed by Socrates Famellos in his parliamentary speech—where he even appealed to progressive parties to jointly and “immediately” table a motion of no confidence against the government—Pavlos Polakis went a step further in his statement, saying that SYRIZA is ready to collect signatures, addressing the PASOK president.
Sources indicate that the Chania MP, following Antonis Samaras’s speech, turned to his colleagues, telling them they should react immediately. Pavlos Polakis, addressing Nikos Androulakis, said: “The question arises, why don’t you table a motion of no confidence against the government? Now? We said clearly that this government must fall and be demolished.” Referring to Kostis Hatzidakis, who he said left when he took the podium, he noted that he is the surveillance target with number “5046c.”
He continued: “To have your boss spy on you and sit there like a chicken, saying I don’t know, I didn’t see, I didn’t hear… Shame on you, you wretch. And we don’t care about your personal affairs,” but “where did you put your signatures.” “Having all this,” he continued, still addressing the PASOK benches, “will you table a motion of no confidence? We’re starting, we’re collecting signatures.” This sparked interest among SYRIZA officials. The impression created was that Pavlos Polakis said all this for Socrates Famellos to hear. The SYRIZA president was clear in his speech about how progressive parties should react, saying: “Our democratic duty cannot be exhausted in condemnation. Greek society strongly distrusts the government,” he said characteristically, emphasizing that “we need to utilize all parliamentary tools, as well as social political pressure, and there must be coordination among progressive forces to implement what the Greek people want.”
He also expressed his conviction that “we are facing a major governmental crisis,” as he said, “the government is exposed before multiple corruption scandals being revealed.” “Mr. Mitsotakis has caused a deep political crisis in the country with incalculable economic and social consequences, intensifying insecurity and undermining social cohesion,” he noted, speaking of a “national and social need to get rid of this corrupt and dangerous government, immediately.” Launching a fierce attack on the prime minister, he characterized him as “hiding and being blackmailed” due to his refusal to attend the pre-agenda discussion on the Rule of Law, “once again devaluing Parliament and democratic parliamentary rules.”
As he argued, the prime minister doesn’t come to the discussion because “he cannot answer for the new case file regarding OPEKEPE, for the revelations of the wiretapping scandal after the court decision and the Dilian blackmail, for covering up the responsibilities of ministers and the prime minister himself in the Tempe crime and the cover-up, for scandals in training, in the leak of expatriate personal data, in direct assignments and in the Recovery Fund.”
