Greek government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis has criticized main opposition party PASOK for supporting Elena Akrita as deputy speaker of parliament, calling the decision a major political issue during an interview on OPEN TV.
Speaking on the television network, Marinakis stated that PASOK's support for Akrita stands in sharp contrast to its stance several months earlier when the party refused to vote for Yiannis Stournaras, the governor of the Bank of Greece.
He linked PASOK's decision to the political divisions of the financial crisis starting in 2010, when difficult austerity measures were introduced. Marinakis drew a distinction between those who joined protests in the upper and lower squares of Syntagma, calling for gallows, alleging betrayals, and using hostile rhetoric, and those who sought to keep Greece within the European Union despite past mistakes. He placed Akrita among those using divisive rhetoric, primarily through online platforms.
Marinakis emphasized that remaining in the European Union was not a fetish, but a vital prerequisite for Greece to function as a normal country with access to medicines, vaccines, the EU Recovery Fund, preventive health screenings, and civil protection equipment. He noted that Greece remained in Europe because, following a political u-turn by former Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, lawmakers from the ruling New Democracy party and PASOK voted to stay, with Stournaras serving as an emblematic figure in that effort.
Directing severe criticism at PASOK leader Nikos Androulakis, the government spokesman argued that PASOK has transformed into a party aligning with individuals who previously sought Greece's exit from Europe. He added that these figures had once insulted PASOK itself by calling its members traitors and germanotsoliades, a term referring to wartime collaborators.
Marinakis rejected claims made by PASOK spokesman Mr Tsoukalas, describing them as two major lies. Addressing the first claim that the government had celebrated votes from the far-right Spartans party, Marinakis insisted he had stated word for word that such votes were not welcome. He added that the current government introduced legislation allowing the Supreme Court, Areios Pagos, to rule on issues involving criminal organizations or concealed party leaders.
Turning to the second claim, Marinakis challenged PASOK's assertion that it institutionally votes for deputy speaker candidates from all parties except far-right and Nazi groups. He cited the nomination of Michalis Hourdakis, proposed by Zoe Konstantopoulou. Marinakis revealed that out of 32 PASOK lawmakers at the time, 24 did not vote for Hourdakis, despite the fact that Hourdakis was not far-right and later joined PASOK. Marinakis concluded by asking why PASOK was misleading the public.
Rejection of opposition private debt proposals
Addressing PASOK's economic policies, Marinakis cited an official response from the Ministry of Finance that deconstructs the opposition's private debt proposal point by point. While noting that no one opposes supporting vulnerable borrowers in principle, he stated that government measures had already resulted in 62,600 debt restructuring agreements worth 20 billion euros by the end of May.
Marinakis explained that PASOK was either suggesting measures already in place or ignoring European regulatory frameworks. He highlighted that protection for primary residences has been operational since September 21 under government legislation for anyone entering the out-of-court settlement mechanism. Regarding PASOK's request for 120 repayment installments, he noted that 72 installments are already available, with up to 240 installments provided through the out-of-court mechanism.
According to the Ministry of Finance response, PASOK's proposal allowing borrowers to buy back loans before they are sold to investment funds ignores established European insolvency regulations. Furthermore, proposals concerning Swiss franc loans sideline borrowers who maintained consistent payments. Marinakis emphasized that the government prioritizes providing maximum support to compliant borrowers.
Regarding mandatory out-of-court procedures, Marinakis stated that obligatoriness was already enacted under Law 5072/2023, requiring credit servicers to offer out-of-court settlements that protect primary residences. He noted that the administration under Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, through legislation drafted by Kostis Hatzidakis and Finance Minister Kyriakos Pierrakakis, expanded eligibility criteria, increased tax-free and non-seizable asset limits, and enabled the unfreezing of bank account balances upon payment of 25 percent of outstanding debt.
The spokesman warned that uncosted promises to write off loans and debts resemble past policies that led Greece into international bailout memorandums, economic output losses, pension and wage cuts, and heavy taxation under the Katrougalos-Tsipras tax law.
Criminal code reforms and femicide debate
In the final section of his interview, Marinakis targeted what he termed the rebranded SYRIZA party under Alexis Tsipras, accusing it of irresponsibility on economic matters and social issues. Responding to criticism from Tsipras's communications team regarding femicides and sexual freedom offenses, Marinakis outlined the government's operational record over its seven years in power.
He listed specific measures taken by the administration, including the creation of 63 specialized domestic violence police units that did not previously exist, the operation of 20 shelters for women and children across Greece, the deployment of the Panic Button emergency alert system, and the maintenance of a dedicated SOS helpline.
Marinakis questioned SYRIZA officials, explicitly referencing party member Ms Koufanikolakou, over the legal framework enacted under Tsipras in 2019. He stated that the 2019 Penal Code reduced sentences for perpetrators of murder and femicide, lowered minimum penalties for human trafficking, relaxed legal provisions governing sexual offenses such as indecent acts, and reduced the maximum prison term for all serious felonies from 20 years to 15 years.
The government spokesman emphasized that the current administration reinstated all of these criminal provisions under stricter standards in 2026. He stated that the government would not permit Tsipras to rewrite history, adding that comparing current policies to the 2019 changes sets a low standard. Concluding his remarks, Marinakis acknowledged that while recent opinion polls show Tsipras leading PASOK for second place, the final political balance will be decided exclusively by voters at the ballot box.
