“No one is being shielded,” said government spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis regarding the case of Dimitris Avramopoulos and his involvement in Qatargate.
The request from Belgium, he said, “was forwarded to the prosecutor within 24 hours and is now before Parliament.” Mr. Avramopoulos himself has already stated that he will request that his immunity be lifted. Once that happens, the matter will then go to the Athens Court of Appeals, which will make the decision. Until then, there is no question of executing the arrest warrant… “When the authorities make a request, we are legally obligated to respond, not only as politicians but as citizens… But let’s not condemn a man; he has given his answers, and they seem convincing. Whether they are valid or not, the courts will decide; let’s not rush to judgment.”
Regarding the barbs directed by the former Commissioner at Minister of Citizen Protection Michalis Chrysochoidis, the government spokesperson noted: “I cannot interpret these statements; it is a given that the prescribed procedure was followed—there is no room for doubt. The ministry has responded adequately; there is no issue. The warrant does not go through the minister at all, but through a police department. There was no preferential treatment.”
When asked about Mr. Avramopoulos’s inclusion on the New Democracy candidate lists, Mr. Marinakis replied: “At the end of the day, the composition of the candidate lists is the prime minister’s decision.”
The government spokesperson noted that “today marks three years since the 2023 elections. The second four-year term is always different from the first, but many cases began one way and ended another. We’re lumping together cases that are under judicial investigation, and as they unfold, new facts emerge that differ from the initial findings. We cannot say that the issue of personal data is a scandal. It’s a bit much for PASOK lawmakers to speak out and be sarcastic when they represent a party of ministers who went to prison. PASOK ‘taught’ ethics; you can’t point fingers, especially regarding cases that haven’t yet been adjudicated by the courts—you need to exercise restraint.”
At the same time, he sharply criticized Alexis Tsipras, whom he accused of populism. “He was the prime minister who lifted protections on primary residences, instituted electronic auctions, and handed over loans to investment funds. It makes sense for any opposition party that wants to govern to form a shadow government, especially Mr. Tsipras, who appears to be in second place in the polls. But this is a world first—he is the first politician to have both a shadow government and a regular government. That government, with his own signature, cost us 120 billion euros in additional taxes, the release of criminals from prison, and poor economic indicators. No shadow government can erase the record of a regular government.”
Regarding Kostas Karamanlis and the possibility of the prime minister taking the initiative to reconcile with him, Mr. Marinakis commented:
“It’s not a matter of taking the initiative; through all his responses, his policies, and his stance, the prime minister has shown respect and recognition for the prime minister during whose tenure he himself was first elected to parliament.
Kostas Karamanlis is one of the most iconic figures of this party, a former president and prime minister whom we all respect and want to see at the forefront.”