Government spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis commented on the European Parliament’s resolution on Turkey during a briefing with political editors:
“The resolution vindicates Greece’s positions. The ‘masks have come off’ for two reasons. First, because once again, all those who believe that the government’s foreign policy is one of appeasement—a policy that no one recognizes and that isolates our country—have been proven wrong. The Greek positions have been vindicated. On the other hand, because in addition to New Democracy and PASOK, which voted in favor, the MEPs from the Freedom and Victory Party voted against the report, while the MEPs from the Greek Solution, SYRIZA, the KKE, and Ms. Latinopoulou abstained. “When the time comes to face history, these pseudo-patriots either abstain or vote against.”
Regarding the debate on the constitutional amendment to Article 16, Mr. Marinakis stated that “the time has come for the opposition parties—and especially PASOK—to stop playing with words. This university reform is decades overdue because of PASOK’s stance 20 years ago.”
Regarding the new “posokanei” platform, the government spokesperson noted that “it is not the only initiative to tackle inflation, but in combination with the others, it gives consumers another tool. Inflation is being tackled through income increases, inspections and fines, and a series of emergency measures, such as the cap on profit margins.”
When asked to comment on the statements made by Prokopis Pavlopoulos and Evangelos Venizelos regarding the wiretaps, Mr. Marinakis emphasized: “The government believes that in a case that has been brought before the courts, it is the job of the judiciary—and no one else—to provide answers on the matter. As for the rule of law, every year the European Commission drafts its much-discussed report, according to which Greece has made progress on 4 of the 7 recommendations made to it. The reality is that our country has made strides forward.”