N. Iliopoulos: The Mitsotakis government wants to continue the cover-up in the investigation as well

“And in the case of the investigation, the Mitsotakis government continues the cover-up”, stressed the press representative of SYRIZA-Progressive Alliance Nasos Iliopoulos, speaking to the radio station “Real FM 97.8”, in the background of today’s debate in Parliament on the establishment of an investigation into the wiretapping .

“From the first moment, the government worked to hide the wiretapping scandal. On July 29, the Commission sent a letter to the Greek side asking about the surveillance and the Predator scandal. The government’s official response on August 2 was “don’t you’re dealing with, these are matters of national security”. “, noted Nasos Iliopoulos.

“And after Mr. Mitsotakis took 48 hours to apologise, he made a speech in which he said that there is political responsibility, but it runs out to his nephew and the commander of the EYP. And he said the unthinkable, that the surveillance of Androulakis was legal but if he knew he wouldn’t allow it,” he underlined. “So it is clear that the government and Mr. Mitsotakis were trying from the very beginning to hide what happened. That is what they are doing now with the investigation, throwing the ball in the ring. They want us to discuss what is being done in general with the security of telecommunications from the 2012”, said Nasos Iliopoulos.

“From our side we said something very specific. First, we need to know why Mr. Androulakis was monitored. It is dangerous to hear from Mr. Mitsotakis that the reason was national security and that they cannot answer. Mr. Mitsotakis is asking to have the privilege of not being checked again at the moment when he has been caught not with the goat, but with a flock on his back,” he said characteristically.

He also added that “Mr. Mitsotakis – immediately after the complaints of the journalist Thanasis Koukakis about his own monitoring – changed the law so that the EYP does not have the obligation to inform the ADAE”. “It is clear that the prime minister is responsible, he is the political mastermind of this case. The other case is to accept that he is just a fool who had no idea that his nephew was watching an elected MEP and – then candidate – leader of the third parliamentary party . We can’t believe this,” Nasos Iliopoulos pointed out.

He also noted that “until the end of Mr. Mitsotakis’ speech in the Parliament, Mr. Valavani and Mr. Panousis had refuted him – for alleged monitoring by the SYRIZA government – Mr. Venizelos and Mr. Kabayannis answered him about the case of Golden Dawn that in this case he lied, Mr. Varoufakis then answered him and the next day Mr. Kotzias also answered him…”.

Speaking on “Parapolitika 90.1 FM” and asked about the developments in the field of accuracy, he emphasized: “today the average price of a megawatt hour in Greece is recorded at 697 euros, in Spain and Portugal it is at 188”. “At that crucial meeting, when we were saying that Greece should be on the side of Spain and Portugal, the government chose to be on the side of profiteering,” noted Nasos Iliopoulos. “Today the government is preparing to give 2 billion to the providers. From whom will it take it and to whom will it be given? Based on the official data, in the first seven months of the year we have 5 billion increased tax revenue compared to the target. From those 2.4 billion is increased VAT. Amid extreme inflation at 12%, the government has not reduced excise duty on fuel and VAT on basic food items. So it is taking people’s money and giving it to them who prey on society,” he said.

“Furthermore, based on the Commission’s official data, Greece is first in increasing energy costs for businesses and third for households. So we are already at an unsustainable point,” he said, adding that “for the first time in modern Greek story, house with two workers can’t make a month”.

Referring to the political developments in the run-up to the elections, he pointed out: “the isolated political player now is Mr. Mitsotakis”. “When he says that elections mean three months of instability, he actually means that he cannot form a government. From our side, we say that SYRIZA-Progressive Alliance can and will form a progressive government from the first ballots with simple proportionality,” underlined Nasos Iliopoulos.

“That’s why we’re talking about a program. First of all about the progressive initiatives that Spain and Portugal have taken to deal with precision, such as decoupling the price of electricity from natural gas. We’re talking about changing the bankruptcy code, for the regulation – by erasing a significant part – of the private debt created during the pandemic, for supporting the social state, supporting Education, Health, for supporting work”, he stressed.

“Progressive, democratic citizens, those who want the Mitsotakis policy to be defeated, will force the progressive forces to come to an agreement”, concluded Nasos Iliopoulos.