Greek opposition party PASOK has accused ruling New Democracy Justice Minister Giorgos Floridis of playing with national security after he warned on public television that election instability could trigger a military crisis with Turkey.
PASOK press spokesman Kostas Tsoukalas issued a statement saying Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis was allowing cabinet ministers to exploit sensitive foreign affairs to serve narrow political interests.
The political row follows broadcast comments by Floridis on Greek public television, where he stated that the country faced national jeopardy in upcoming parliamentary elections. Floridis warned that if New Democracy failed to win a standalone majority on election night, forces across the border would launch an attack, directly pointing to a potential hot episode with neighboring Turkey.
Opposition response to government warnings
Responding to the broadcast statements, Tsoukalas stated that the government of New Democracy and Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis was slipping down dangerous paths by attempting to intimidate the electorate. He said the ruling administration was threatening Greek voters by claiming that their democratic choices at the polling booth could expose the nation to Turkish hostility.
Tsoukalas described the government as deeply dangerous, arrogant, and regime-like, adding that its political downward slide had no end. He asserted that the New Democracy administration could no longer claim to be synonymous with political stability.
PASOK, the Panhellenic Socialist Movement, is Greece's primary center-left opposition party. New Democracy, led by Mitsotakis, is the ruling center-right party that has framed its governance around national security, economic stability, and defense readiness.
Relations between neighboring NATO allies Greece and Turkey have historically involved territorial disputes and diplomatic friction across the Aegean Sea. As a result, cross-border security concerns remain sensitive topics in domestic Greek election campaigns.
Call for prime minister to intervene
Addressing Mitsotakis directly, Tsoukalas said the prime minister should not allow his ministers to gamble with critical national affairs for party gain.
The PASOK spokesman concluded that the interest of the homeland must always be placed above petty political interests, adding that national interest stands above everything else.
