PASOK leader Nikos Androulakis launched fierce criticism against New Democracy and Kyriakos Mitsotakis, focusing on the OPEKEPE case and the wiretapping scandal. Speaking about the OPEKEPE scandal, the main opposition leader noted that New Democracy made the country “a champion of indictments in the Greek Parliament,” specifically stating that “on one hand we want to move forward, but we have a government that made the country a pan-European champion in per capita indictments of New Democracy MPs.”
“And it’s not just OPEKEPE,” he said, adding: “There’s the Recovery Fund, there’s the wiretapping issue where the country has a prime minister who is publicly blackmailed by a former Israeli military officer. What’s the answer to all this? The answer is political change. We cannot continue on this path with a government and politics that devalue the struggles and sacrifices of the Greek people throughout the years of economic crisis.”
He continued in sharp tones: “Hasn’t Greek justice done the same in other cases? Here they’re organizing a plan to devalue European institutions, claiming the European prosecutor’s office is playing games against Mitsotakis and New Democracy. I hear implications about geopolitical choices. Is this what Konstantinos Karamanlis’ New Democracy is saying? When wiretapping comes out, they attack independent authorities, they attack judges, now they’re also attacking the European prosecutor’s office? I myself had questioned the prime minister about the OPEKEPE scandal. The scandal was known and he had answered that there were some shadows.”
Androulakis: “New Democracy’s conspiracy narratives to diffuse responsibilities”
“Who will the Greek people trust – me or the corrupt MPs and ministers of New Democracy? European justice or New Democracy’s conspiracy narratives to diffuse responsibilities and essentially derail public dialogue about yet another scandal?” he wondered.
He continued, addressing journalists: “Why were some of your colleagues talking about a cross-party scandal and pathologies, and then comes an indictment involving New Democracy MPs and ministers? There was a colleague on Sky saying that a PASOK official was involved, when that official was actually a New Democracy parliamentary candidate. All summer the equalization plan was organized and the European prosecutor’s office exposed it with this indictment.”
“I know I’m not prime minister. PASOK last governed 16 years ago. The prime ministers during the OPEKEPE years were Tsipras towards the end and Mitsotakis throughout his term. How are myself or PASOK officials involved when we haven’t governed during the years of the OPEKEPE scandal?” he noted.
Asked if he’s certain that “no PASOK MPs are involved in this story,” he said “I’m certain about what my eyes read and my ears hear. I read an indictment with PASOK’s legal team where those who picked up the phone at the expense of European Union money and Greek taxpayers are a blue gang.”
He continued: “Justice will evaluate it. I heard both Boukoros and Mitsotakis. They tell us these phone calls weren’t to put money in their pockets. Isn’t it fraud that they build political careers and dowries with money from the Greek people and honest farmers and livestock breeders? If someone picks up the phone and calls the ministry saying this person has pasture and animals but where they’re entitled to X they’ll get two times X, isn’t that fraud? Isn’t that theft? What are they trying to tell us? This will be evaluated by the European prosecutor’s office and these names are in Parliament.
If what they did had no economic cost, their names wouldn’t have come up. They’re coming to be investigated and some of them will be convicted because as it appears, some of these issues are very serious frauds. Some of them will be convicted, justice will decide,” said Nikos Androulakis.
Androulakis on wiretapping: “The scandal was downplayed, Mitsotakis is being blackmailed”
On wiretapping, he emphasized: “Instead of your colleagues’ first question to those who come on TV being what did you do about this, we don’t have these questions. You’re overlooking it too, both you and them.”
He added: “This scandal was downplayed. The motto was that Androulakis became tiresome. And now we see that Mitsotakis is being blackmailed by a former Israeli military officer. When we see the wiretapping deep state being convicted, now finally I wasn’t tiresome. My persistence for some value – not personal but for our democracy, for respect for human rights.”
“They don’t all go to justice because they’re married to their chairs. On the altar of staying in power they sacrifice their dignity, their ethics, their oath to serve the people and homeland, and that’s why they don’t go to justice. I sent a letter calling them to do what their oath – not I – requires.”
“I went to the country’s highest court, the Council of State, to declare the Tsiaras law unconstitutional and to be officially informed. The court vindicated me. Who should implement the decision? The prime minister. He doesn’t implement it. The prime minister doesn’t implement the decision,” he said about wiretapping.
“Predator didn’t get into my phone,” noted Nikos Androulakis, mentioning he went to court over the attempted infection of his phone. “They didn’t get anything from me. Some who had their files taken didn’t go. The country’s prime minister doesn’t implement the Council of State decision, so I went to the second step. I went to the European Court of Human Rights and a case will be heard soon. The government has already sent, we’re sending too, and we’ll go to the European court. So we’ll have three courts. Council of State where I was vindicated. Misdemeanor court where I was vindicated and I’m waiting for the European court where I think we’ll be vindicated too, against this deep state that Kyriakos Mitsotakis built.”
On elections, he said: “A former official comes out and says I only sell to governments and the prime minister doesn’t respond substantively – not to me but to him. Is this an artificial climate that PASOK creates or a real climate that needed political change? If these were my words which you could question because I tell the truth. The prime minister is being blackmailed.” He added that “we must go to elections because this isn’t a climate, it’s reality. We have a blackmailed government, deeply corrupt, that chooses impunity and games with institutions.”
“Every time an indictment comes to Parliament for a PASOK MP, the party removes them from the parliamentary group until Greek justice decides whether this person is convicted or not. Why doesn’t Mitsotakis do this? Because he’ll fall. What I do regularly, the prime minister isn’t capable of doing, sending a message to the Greek people that I respect institutions and want parliament not to be a parliamentary majority of defendants.”
Androulakis: Any vote for a party other than PASOK is a protest vote that will ultimately favor New Democracy staying in power
“Are you ready for elections?” Nikos Androulakis was asked and replied:
“Hatzidakis said the phrase Karamanlis had said to Papandreou and they ended up losing the elections. We’ve presented a complete program from the Thessaloniki International Fair for everything with specific priorities in institutions, justice, economy, development.
“For VAT reduction in Cyprus, how did they manage it and we didn’t? If Cyprus can, why can’t Greece so we have lower prices on basic products? I use VAT and special consumption tax to generate surplus revenue due to inflation and pass these on to create clientelist relationships with the Greek people.
“As we go towards elections, a large part of society that has devalued politics, that has been disappointed, is angry with the situation – what does it mean to choose a governing party to remove New Democracy? I think in the end, with much struggle and effort, PASOK will be this choice because it’s the only party that isn’t protest-based, it’s the only party with a specific program and has officials and renewal to become government. Everything else is a protest vote that will ultimately favor New Democracy and its staying in power.”
Androulakis: “Any party that accepts our governing priorities will be a potential governing partner”
“With a one-vote difference and PASOK leading, we become government, we implement our program, New Democracy goes to opposition. With those the Greek people choose. If a party doesn’t have a majority, it must choose to cooperate with another. Whoever accepts our governing priorities and doesn’t disrupt our program implementation will be a potential governing partner that the Greek people will indicate,” noted Nikos Androulakis on post-election cooperation.
Androulakis on incompatibility: “A drowning man clutches at straws”
On the incompatibility of minister and MP that Kyriakos Mitsotakis proposed, he emphasized:
“A drowning man clutches at straws. While his back is against the wall, defending all these things I describe, the prime minister speaks – a representative of family rule with a prime minister father about favoritism in Greece and gives me lessons. Give me a break. What does he propose? For some months when an MP is minister, they stop being an MP and a substitute enters, and he’ll do this after elections. He’s hardly going to be prime minister after elections to do it. He throws a communications firework that solves the problem. Clean solutions are that an MP can’t be minister and a minister can’t be MP. Because an MP who becomes minister knowing they’ll run again as MP in coming elections will obviously do favors for their electoral clientele.”
“I’m ready to discuss everything to end this story that harms public interest. At our recent congress we passed this: With a permanent basis. No MP can be an MP for more than 20 years – not from now on, retroactively. If this becomes state law, everyone will know that seats aren’t shops, nor are they for life.”
Speaking about reducing MPs, he said “this is also an issue we can discuss. But let’s discuss boldly for the next elections with honesty and not play communication games that have no value.”
He added: “Where is the model Mitsotakis proposes implemented? There are single-seat constituencies, there are lists. I disagree with lists. I disagree with the ‘Mitsotakis emperor model – not just prime minister but emperor who appoints ministers, MPs and justice.’ I want a prime minister with limits on his power. That’s why I propose justice not be appointed by each parliamentary majority – the justice leadership should end and we should have real separation of powers. We propose terms for MPs, MEPs and elected positions. The people choose their representatives and the current prime minister won’t appoint them as some imagine in the future.”
Speaking about direct assignments, he also launched fierce criticism here, saying there’s talk “about a government that partied with the recovery fund. Everywhere direct assignments, rudimentary competitive procedures with profits from specific players.”
“Is there real fourth power in Greece?” he wondered and added: “Four times in Parliament I’ve raised this issue. For diaspora voting they gave a company €300,000 direct assignment for communication planning. €2.6 million to the same company, direct assignment. And they give €5 million with rudimentary competitive procedures where three participate and the other two companies submitted proposals €2,000 higher than the €5 million. So someone gets seven million euros as a gift from Mitsotakis. Does the fourth power care about this? Do they care that in the sacred issue of postal voting for diaspora Hellenism, some went to do business? They have nothing sacred or holy.”
“We don’t just have one OPEKEPE, we have many small and large OPEKEPEs. That’s why they must leave as soon as possible.”
On cooperation with Tsipras
On possible cooperation with Alexis Tsipras, he said: “Mr. Tsipras has a right to a second chance. We must prove in our lives that we’ve learned something. He had one opportunity, five years as prime minister. When in his first interview after a small rest and five years as prime minister he says he wouldn’t have closed banks in July but would have closed them Monday morning as soon as he was elected prime minister, two issues arise. That what he says economically is inconceivable and dangerous, but also another issue. Had he told the people to get their vote and 36% that he would close banks on Monday? Here there’s an issue of democratic empathy.
“PASOK first, even by one vote,” repeated Nikos Androulakis ahead of elections, emphasizing: “Our program and choices will be based on the choice the Greek people will have made. Struggle and effort, PASOK must be the first party. Otherwise this government will remain.”
On Euroleague
Finally asked in a more sporting context whether both teams (Panathinaikos and Olympiakos) will go to the Final 4 of Euroleague, he said:
“For the Final 4 we hope to win today to have hopes (note: he’s a Panathinaikos supporter). The Spanish devil week is difficult.”
