New Democracy secretary Konstantinos Kyranakis and OPEN journalist Katerina Papakostopoulou engaged in a heated on-air dispute during a live television broadcast on Wednesday morning.
The clash occurred during the morning news program 10 Pantou as the panel discussed consumer inflation and the economic strain currently affecting Greek families.
The discussion intensified when Papakostopoulou questioned Kyranakis on whether he knew people struggling financially, asking if any of his friends had admitted to running out of money before the end of the month. She said that many ordinary citizens frequently run out of funds by the twentieth day of the month and noted that she had personally experienced the same difficulty several times.
The exchange shifted to a personal level when Kyranakis responded by asking the journalist directly whether her salary had increased between 2019 and the present day.
Papakostopoulou answered in a sharp tone, telling the politician that her current salary was identical to what she earned as a reporter at STAR channel. She added that she had been working for 31 years and acknowledged that without financial support from her husband, her own earnings would not be enough to cover her monthly living costs.
On-air intervention and accusations
The argument prompted show host Nikos Stravelakis to step in, asking both participants to refrain from speaking on a personal level. Stravelakis stated that he did not enjoy personal discussions on air and called on both guests to end the personal exchange.
Papakostopoulou pushed back against the presenter, denying that she had turned the conversation personal. She pointed to Kyranakis as the person who made the argument personal and asked why he had done so, adding that if he enjoyed insulting a woman, she was prepared to answer him. She emphasized that she had remained polite throughout the discussion and repeated that within her social circle, which shares common acquaintances with his, people often run out of money by the twentieth of the month.
Stravelakis intervened a second time, ordering both sides to halt the confrontation immediately. He reminded the panel that similar personal clashes had occurred on the show before and insisted he did not want them repeated. He suggested concluding the debate at that point if Papakostopoulou felt offended by the exchange.
Papakostopoulou concluded her remarks by suggesting that Kyranakis visit the network accounting office if he wanted to learn her exact salary, adding that her income was not as high as he assumed.
Political and broadcast background
Kyranakis serves as secretary of New Democracy, the governing center-right political party in Greece. A prominent figure in contemporary Greek politics, he regularly appears on television news panels to represent the party on legislative policy, public administration reform, and national economic strategy.
Papakostopoulou is a veteran Greek broadcast journalist with more than three decades of experience reporting on current affairs. Prior to joining the news team at OPEN TV, she spent years as a reporter for STAR Channel, another major private television network based in Athens.
OPEN TV is a nationwide commercial television channel in Greece. Its morning news and current affairs show, 10 Pantou, is anchored by veteran news presenter Nikos Stravelakis, who routinely hosts political debates featuring members of parliament and political analysts.
The rising cost of living has become a central theme in Greek political debates, with inflation, utility costs, and wage levels dominating television discussions between government officials and media commentators. Following the exchange on Wednesday, Stravelakis brought the segment to a close to move on to the next topic in the morning broadcast.
