“In record time, Mr. Doukas supported one position and its opposite. What remains is for him to untangle his thoughts, which may matter to him but doesn’t concern society. In any case, and given the mayor’s reluctance, as the Defense Ministry announced today, it will not allow any degradation of the Monument, doing whatever is required for this purpose,” government officials emphasized in a new statement. Earlier, Harris Doukas had taken the matter to court regarding the assignment of cleaning services to private contractors.
Unknown Soldier monument: The latest statement against Doukas
The government officials’ statement:
Within just a few hours, Mr. Doukas contradicted himself.
Yesterday, after his meeting with Defense Minister Nikos Dendias, the Athens mayor stated that, based on the amendment voted in Parliament, the responsibility for caring for the Unknown Soldier Monument and its surrounding area belongs exclusively to the government.
He even ironically expressed the wish for “good luck,” which, as government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis noted, he should have addressed to the capital’s residents and all those moving around the city since his election.
Today Mr. Doukas announced he would take the matter to court regarding the jurisdiction issue, saying exactly the opposite of what he said yesterday.
In record time, Mr. Doukas supported one position and its opposite. What remains is for him to untangle his thoughts, which may matter to him but doesn’t concern society.
In any case, and given the mayor’s reluctance, as the Defense Ministry announced today, it will not allow any degradation of the Monument, doing whatever is required for this purpose.
The Defense Ministry gave an immediate response to the Athens Municipality regarding the Unknown Soldier Monument issue. The ministry’s statement specifically noted: “The Defense Ministry, following what has emerged in public discourse, emphasizes that it will not allow any degradation of the Unknown Soldier Monument. It will do whatever is required for this purpose and will not return to this discussion.”
Timeline of the heated confrontation
The Athens mayor announced earlier that he would take legal action over the assignment of the Unknown Soldier Monument’s cleaning to private contractors. As stated in his announcement: “Mr. Marinakis confirmed that, with the well-known amendment, the responsibility for cleaning at the Unknown Soldier belongs to the Defense Ministry and will be assigned to PRIVATE CONTRACTORS. As is obvious, the Athens Municipality will appeal to the competent courts, based on Article 102 of the Constitution.”
The Doukas-Marinakis confrontation over the Unknown Soldier Monument
Harris Doukas’s statement follows the public confrontation with government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis, who accused the mayor of “not behaving like a mayor” regarding the monument issue. Harris Doukas responded yesterday through a social media post, with a photo next to relatives of Tempe tragedy victims, emphasizing that “the fight for justice continues.”
Speaking on Action24 Friday morning, he noted that “the essence lies in the Defense Ministry’s latest announcement about how it will handle the cleaning and enhancement of the Unknown Soldier Monument. The short-term solution is police work to guard the implementation of order and not allow any well-meaning solidarity activist who might attempt to abolish its implementation,” the government spokesman added.
The Dendias-Doukas meeting on the Unknown Soldier, the “Good luck” comment and the back-and-forth responses
It should be noted that yesterday Defense Minister Nikos Dendias held discussions with Interior Minister Michalis Chrysochoidis and Athens Mayor Harris Doukas regarding the monument’s cleaning and security, as after the amendment voted by Parliament on Wednesday, October 22, responsibility for the Unknown Soldier’s care and maintenance transfers from the Municipality to the Defense Ministry.
Now, the Athens Municipality is only responsible for cleaning the sidewalk on Queen Amalia Avenue and not the monument area itself. Regarding Nikos Dendias’s meeting with Harris Doukas, the Pentagon stated that due to “institutional responsibility,” it immediately called the relevant authorities after the amendment’s passage for the operational dimension of its implementation, including the Athens mayor. The Pentagon also emphasized that the meeting was held for “better coordination of the legal responsibilities of the Athens Municipality and the Interior Ministry regarding the Unknown Soldier Monument.”
“From today, responsibility for the monument’s care belongs exclusively to the government. Good luck to them,” Athens Mayor Harris Doukas had posted on social media after his meeting with Nikos Dendias about the Unknown Soldier Monument. Specifically, the Athens mayor wrote: “I met today with Defense Minister Nikos Dendias. During the meeting, I reiterated my known positions regarding the Unknown Soldier Monument. According to what the Prime Minister declared in Parliament and based on the voted amendment, from today the responsibility for caring for the Monument and its surrounding area belongs exclusively to the government. Good luck to them.”
Nikos Dendias responded immediately, announcing he would proceed with “assigning the area’s cleaning to a third party, for as long as required.” After the Athens mayor’s statement that “responsibility for the Monument belongs exclusively to the government,” we are proceeding with assigning the Unknown Soldier’s cleaning to a third party, the Defense Ministry emphasized in its announcement. “The Defense Ministry cannot allow the degradation of this space of memory and honor for those who fought for the Nation and Fatherland,” it noted. Late in the evening, with a new announcement, the Pentagon meaningfully underlined: “Heaven forbid if cleaning fell under the constitutional mission of the Armed Forces.”
The Defense Ministry’s announcement
“We cannot allow the degradation of the Unknown Soldier Monument. According to Article 102 of the Constitution and the law, exclusive responsibility for cleaning belongs to Local Government and specifically for the Unknown Soldier Monument belongs to the Athens Municipality. After the Athens mayor’s public statement that in his view “responsibility for the Monument belongs exclusively to the government,” the Defense Ministry cannot allow the degradation of this space of memory and honor for those who fought for the Nation and Fatherland. Therefore, it will proceed with assigning the area’s cleaning to a third party, for as long as required. As Defense Minister Nikos Dendias emphasized in his recent statement, respect for the dead of National Struggles and for History is a collective duty and responsibility of us all.”
According to Article 102 of the Constitution and the law, exclusive responsibility for cleaning belongs to Local Government and specifically for the Unknown Soldier Monument belongs to the Athens Municipality.
After the Athens Mayor’s public statement that in his view “responsibility for… pic.twitter.com/pATN0qQdmu
— Nikos Dendias (@NikosDendias) October 23, 2025
Doukas responds to Defense Ministry statement: “The required respect for the Unknown Soldier Monument is still being sought”
Harris Doukas commented on the Defense Ministry’s position regarding cleaning at the Unknown Soldier Monument with a new statement, speaking about confusion between the ministry and government. “Yesterday the government proposed and voted an amendment assigning care, and therefore cleaning of the Unknown Soldier area to the Defense Ministry. Today the Defense Ministry informs us that, according to Article 102 of the Constitution, exclusive responsibility for cleaning belongs to the Athens Municipality. Draw your own conclusions. Unfortunately, the required respect for the Monument is still being sought…,” Harris Doukas commented.
Defense Ministry: Heaven forbid if cleaning fell under the constitutional mission of the Armed Forces
Late in the evening, the Defense Ministry responded again, emphasizing in a related statement that “legal care for the Unknown Soldier Monument consists of ensuring it corresponds to the purpose for which it was established. Cleaning based on Article 102 of the Constitution is a local matter and belongs exclusively to the municipal Authority’s jurisdiction. Heaven forbid if cleaning fell under the constitutional mission of the Armed Forces! Their mission is different,” the Defense Ministry’s announcement underlined.
