“Mr. Tsipras undoubtedly has capabilities in the center-left space.” This was stated by Dora Bakoyannis, commenting on the former prime minister’s resignation from his parliamentary office and the scenarios for a new party, while noting that she believes PASOK is the one that should be more “worried.” At the same time, Dora Bakoyannis, speaking to SKAI, also referred to the Tempe case and Panos Routsis, emphasizing that the government cannot interfere with the judiciary and that Zoe Konstantopoulou wants to delay the trial.
She also expressed optimism that the Mitsotakis-Erdogan meeting will take place, while regarding the Greece-Cyprus electrical interconnection she said that “there are interests pressuring Christodoulides,” estimating, however, that the project will proceed.
Detailed statements by Dora Bakoyannis
Initially, regarding Mr. Tsipras, Ms. Bakoyannis mentioned: “It was expected, I don’t think anyone was surprised (by the resignation). I have the feeling that Mr. Tsipras wants to form a leadership party, he’s fed up with the various assemblies, central committees, political offices etc. And he says ‘I will form a party for whoever likes me. And I will only take people who suit me.’ There is substance and that is that Mr. Tsipras does not come untainted from nowhere. He has a history. He must give explanations to the Greek people and to those he addresses. A book is very difficult to answer the major questions such as why he went with Kammenos. Let him make self-criticism, let him say straightforwardly and categorically the fundamental mistakes, which still cost us today. And after he does all this, here we are, let him try his luck.”
“The left will make an effort to gather itself and this is what the poor leftists hope, to regroup, to find a leader, to remove some officials. Maybe they can do something,” she noted. Regarding who is more worried about Tsipras’s return, she answered: “The one who is certainly worried is PASOK. I believe he will damage PASOK, not us.”
Regarding the center space that is dissatisfied, Dora Bakoyannis commented that: “If New Democracy has the ability to credibly address this world, it will win them back. At this moment we undoubtedly have a reduction in this percentage. These people are not won over with social benefits but with the credibility of our word. They will be won over if we finally start the Constitutional revision and show that what we want to do in reforms, for example the article on ministerial responsibility, and prove in practice that we are capable of both making big reforms and achieving substantial consensus, not Kammenos-Tsipras style.”
Dora Bakoyannis: There is no New Democracy official who wouldn’t want to respond positively to Panos Routsis’s request
Regarding the Tempe case and the government’s stance toward Panos Routsis, Mrs. Bakoyannis mentioned that: “The government has a very sensitive relationship with the judiciary, because if it shows in any way that it interferes with justice, this is to the government’s detriment. The judiciary’s dilemma was that it had to find a way for the trial to proceed and on the other hand respond positively to the request. There is no New Democracy official who wouldn’t want to respond positively to Mr. Routsis’s request, not one. Because we knew it wasn’t a decision of the executive power. What would happen if the trial was delayed? The result would be that those with serious offenses who would probably go to prison, would have been released and then people would be throwing tomatoes at us.”
Dora Bakoyannis: Zoe Konstantopoulou wants the trial postponed
And she added: “When you are a government MP, going with Ms. Konstantopoulou to Mr. Routsis, as you understand, is not easy. Because she herself wants the trial postponed and delayed. Because, the case file is confidential so far, so the elements of the case file that interest Ms. Konstantopoulou see the light of publicity. But if the trial takes place, everything is public. So there will be answers, counter-accusations. It serves Ms. Konstantopoulou’s interests for the trial not to start. A political game was set up around the case.”
Regarding whether she considers it likely that other new parties will be announced by Antonis Samaras and Maria Karystianou, Dora Bakoyannis answered “I don’t know and I don’t want to play the oracle. If someone wants to form a party, they do it. The Greek people want answers, they have specific problems. They don’t care what I will do, what you will do, what the other will do. What interests them is who is the one who will give answers to their problems. And the problems are many.”
“We must meet with Erdogan – I believe the cable will happen”
Regarding Greek-Turkish relations, Mrs. Bakoyannis mentioned that “we must meet with Erdogan. I think it will happen. Greece has an interest in having open lines with Turkey. We have an interest in calling things by their proper names and speaking frankly to the Turkish president’s face. What you must do with the Turks is have clear conversations, as Mitsotakis said about SAFE. We can agree to disagree but we must live with our disagreements.”
Finally, regarding the Greece-Cyprus electrical interconnection she commented that: “There are enormous economic interests in Cyprus, which pressure President Christodoulides. The Cypriot president is determined to proceed with the cable. I believe the cable will happen.”
