Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis spoke in Parliament about the rapid developments in the Middle East during the debate on the bill, referring to "widespread and intense military events that are causing unpredictable economic consequences." Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis spoke from the floor of Parliament about the rapid developments in the Middle East during the debate on the Interior Ministry's bill on postal voting for expatriates.
"In this extremely complex landscape, our position is to support the de-escalation of active conflicts and the return of diplomacy with respect for international law. The next day in Iran must guarantee the freedom and self-determination of the country's people, with absolute control of the nuclear and ballistic program, so that it ceases to be a constant threat to international peace," the prime minister stressed.
From the outset, he said, "our country has been in a state of diplomatic and operational readiness. Some targeted repatriations have already taken place, and similar moves will be made in the coming days. I call on Greeks in the region to show patience and understanding, to take care of their personal safety, and the state will ensure that they return as soon as possible, when feasible."
Cyprus, Mr. Mitsotakis noted, "is an arm of Hellenism. Following my communication with the President of the Republic of Cyprus, the Greek state sent the frigates "Kimon" and "Psara" and four F-16s to Cyprus. Greece is present with responsibility and strength wherever national duty calls. It puts its upgraded armed forces at the service of universal Hellenism. Our mission is defensive and peaceful. It is based on both bilateral and European solidarity, with the aim of deterring threatening actions against the independent state of Cyprus. It demonstrates in practice how we perceive the strengthening of our armed forces in recent years.
The Prime Minister announced that "the guarding of sensitive military infrastructure has been reinforced, as has the guarding of potential targets related to the countries involved. We are also preparing for possible migration flows. It is not visible at the moment, but it is necessary for our country to be prepared for any developments."
All these developments, Mr. Mitsotakis stressed, "also affect the international economy. The relevant ministries are ready, if necessary, to adjust their actions, and we are considering preventive measures to absorb any negative consequences as much as possible. Any increases in fuel prices are a given, but there is a difference between reasonable increases and unbridled speculation. If necessary, measureswill be taken to control any excessive price increases."
The Prime Minister pointed out that "in the uncharted waters of these new international realignments, the internal stability of the country is a prerequisite for security and peace. I call on everyone to realize that it is time for the small and partisan to finally give way to the big and national. Consensus must prevail. Let the professional alarmists think about it: foreign and defense policy is not exercised on ideological grounds, but on national criteria. International law cannot be invoked to justify the gallows of dictatorial regimes, nor can positions be heard that reinforce a generalized conflict in the Middle East. Such a conflict produces no winners, but instability, humanitarian crises, and chain reactions that reach as far as Europe.
As he said, "I have communicated with all the leaders of the countries in the Middle East, conveying the need for de-escalation. We must be mindful of the situation in southern Lebanon. It is reasonable for Israel to react to unprovoked attacks by Hezbollah, but the ground conflict is equally unjustified. Our country is trying to play a stabilizing role so that another front does not open up closer to Greek and Cypriot territory.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, said Mr. Mitsotakis, "will be ready to inform all parties institutionally, I am always available to brief political leaders personally. For the time being, we have the opportunity to show a first sign of responsibility and solidarity in the bill on postal voting for expatriates that we are examining today.
In times like these, the participation of our compatriots in public affairs becomes a powerful link that strengthens our ties with Hellenism everywhere on Earth. We are extending the reach of democracy; this is a reform that goes beyond electoral cycles.
Reference to the Golden Dawn trial
In his second speech, the prime minister referred to the court ruling on Golden Dawn. He spoke of "the result of initiatives by the New Democracy party" and highlighted the "unanimous agreement on the correctness of the court ruling."
Responding to Dimitris Koutsoubas, he stressed that "we took the initiative for defensive support in Cyprus and not at British bases. I would expect greater responsibility when, for the first time in decades, Greece is actively assisting Cyprus at such a juncture."
He also addressed the parties to the right of the New Democracy party: "They were the first to advocate the need for the country to mobilize its strength, but now I see a sense of confusion and relative silence. I once spoke of them as patriots of... lentils, but perhaps I was offensive to lentils when I used that term."
Regarding Nikos Androulakis' position, the prime minister said, "It is positive that we agree in principle on the need to allow expatriates who are registered on the electoral rolls to vote by mail. As for the way the election is conducted with regard to our fellow citizens outside the country and the three-member electoral district, I asked the minister for the new system to take effect 18 months after the election. Let us agree on the obvious, to divide the world into three single-member constituencies, one covering Europe and Africa, one covering North and South America, and one covering Oceania and Asia. I know you will not agree, you disagreed in the Committee, but I want to point out your hypocrisy. As for the observation that the country only remembers the diaspora for electoral reasons, I would remind you that for the first time the country has a national strategy for the Greek diaspora.
Androulakis: Military presence only for the protection of Hellenism
Nikos Androulakis began his speech with the military developments inthe Middle East, given that the discussion on postal voting for Greeks living abroad had effectively turned into an informal process at the level of political leaders.
The PASOK president spoke ofa "dangerous escalation with very serious consequences for security and stability in the region" because, as he said, "the US-Israel 'pre-emptive' attack on Iran clearly constitutes a gross violation of international law."
He therefore stressed that"our military presence in the Eastern Mediterranean should be aimed solely at protectingHellenism, particularlyCyprus, because it is closer to the war zone, without any further involvement of our country."
He also requested that no military operations be launched from bases in Greece.
Regarding the subject of the meeting, postal voting for Greeks living abroad, Mr. Androulakis wasin favorof this measure, so that eligible voters could vote from their place of residence without incurring the financial burden of traveling to Greece.
However, he again disagreed with the"tripartiteconstituency of expatriates" defined in the bill, citing the concerns of representatives of the diaspora.
"A global electoral district means huge costs and gives power to those who have access to the media,"he said, asking the government: "Are you going to create aglobalAthens B while the real Athens B has been 'broken up' into smaller constituencies?"
His proposal was to vote on postal voting today, so that it would apply in thenextelections, but to keep the representation of diaspora MPs on the parties' national ballots"until we revisit the issue."
This proposal is important because if postal voting is approved by at least 200 "yes" votes, it will apply in the next national elections, while if the article on the three-member constituency is passed only with the government's votes, it will apply in the electionsafter that.
Mr. Androulakis sarcastically remarked that the prime minister "did not say a word" about the conviction by the Athens Single-Member Court of First Instance of four individuals involved in wiretapping throughPredator.
He announced that his party is submitting a request today (March 4) for an urgent debate on this issue.
Famellos: A national line is needed, a Council of Political Leaders must be convened
In the request he submitted together withAlexis Charitsis for the convening of the Council of Political Leaders on the subject of Greece's handling of the war developments in the Middle East,Socrates Famellos insisted from the floor of the Parliament.
"In such a serious geopolitical crisis, the country needs a clear national line," he said, strongly criticizing the government's tactics, which he describedas "following in the footsteps ofTrumpandNetanyahu."
According to the president of SYRIZA, Greece should havecondemnedthe military attack by the US and Israel on Iran from the outset, which makes the logic of the powerful the norm, trampling on international law.
The government, he added, should have actedpreemptivelyin favor of international legitimacy as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council.
Addressing the prime minister, he stressed: "You defended and whitewashed Israel in your communication with Mr. Netanyahu yesterday, characterizing war crimes, genocide, and military interventions in countries in the region as self-defense. At the same time, your stance exposes the country tostrategic risk. And I want to ask you: What rules does your government follow? The rules of international law or the rules of the powerful?"
Mr. Famellos described Greece's support for Cyprus as self-evident andnon-negotiable, while expressing great concern about reports that our country is to join the French nuclear"umbrella."