Greek lawmaker Michalis Chourdakis has accused his former party leader Zoe Konstantopoulou of taking away his parliamentary office in Athens and ordering him to sit on the stairs when he asked where he should work.
Chourdakis, who was elected to the Hellenic Parliament with the Course of Freedom party and now sits with the centre-left PASOK parliamentary group, detailed the events that led to his expulsion during a recent interview on the podcast of Efimerida ton Syntakton.
He said the rift began when he refused to grant political favours regarding staff appointments, explaining that Konstantopoulou repeatedly pressured him to hire a specific female associate.
Chourdakis noted that when he asked what the associate would do, pointing out that Course of Freedom already had three parliamentary staffers from the same professional background, Konstantopoulou told him not to concern himself with the matter.
Dispute over parliamentary offices
According to Chourdakis, the disagreement escalated when Konstantopoulou requested the office allocated to him by parliament as a regional deputy so her own staff members could use it instead.
He said that when he agreed to hand over the room and asked where he would be seated, Konstantopoulou told him word for word that he could sit on the stairs.
Greek Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis reshared a video clip of the interview on social platform X, commenting that the exchange revealed Konstantopoulou's true attitude toward employees, associates, and anyone she regards as a subordinate.
Georgiadis, a senior figure in the ruling New Democracy government, added in his post that it would be a misfortune if Konstantopoulou ever obtained actual power.
Demand for parliamentary seat
Chourdakis explained that after a series of similar conflicts, Konstantopoulou demanded his resignation from parliament so that he would surrender his seat to her.
He said he refused the demand because he had acted in accordance with their prior agreements, whereas her request represented the exact opposite of what they had discussed.
Following his refusal, Konstantopoulou issued a scathing public statement against him, which Chourdakis described as a one-page announcement filled with lies.
Chourdakis said that after enduring persistent attacks, he considered it unfair to give up his mandate and leave parliament with his head held low.
Academic and medical career
Addressing his financial independence, Chourdakis stated that he would have gladly returned to university if circumstances had developed differently.
He explained that prior to entering parliament he ran a private medical practice and worked in academia, adding that while he does not underestimate a lawmaker's salary, parliamentary compensation has never been his primary motivation.
Chourdakis stressed that he had been financially secure in the private sector and remained comfortable outside politics.
Background on the parties
Course of Freedom, known in Greece as Plevsi Eleftherias, was founded in 2016 by Zoe Konstantopoulou, an attorney who previously served as President of the Hellenic Parliament during the country's financial crisis.
The Hellenic Parliament allocates office space and staff allowances to elected representatives based on party size and regional constituencies, with independent or re-assigned deputies often retaining their personal parliamentary mandates under Greek constitutional law.
Chourdakis now continues his parliamentary duties as a member of PASOK, one of Greece's long-established political movements.
