Sparks flew at the off-the-agenda Greek Parliament debate on corruption. Launching into the debate, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras accused the opposition party of berating his government and tripping it up as it was trying to clean up the mess. “Today, you will apologize for the lies and slander, but chiefly for your actions, because you did not appear in political life yesterday,” said Tsipras, who accused the conservative leader of being a “child of vested interests” while also choosing the escape route last time corruption was on the agenda. Tsipras lashed out at both the conservative and socialist leader over corruption scandals concerning their parties and blamed them for Greece’s financial problems while citing several high-profile scandals that took place when they were in power.
Tsipras referred to media attacks against him and said his government is facing “constant attempts of post-modern media coups.” Tsipras said that he would not turn back on his decision to auction off the four TV licenses despite criticism and said that the law had imposed the need to lock the “heavyweight businessmen inside small rooms” regarding the closed-door, three-day long electronic bidding that took place.
The leftist leader’s comments triggered “fireworks” but little in the way of substance as the main opposition New Democracy leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis hit back with his own retorts. The liberal leader called Tsipras a “ruthless populist.” He was accused of being arrogant and divisive in society. “You have already failed, you are already defeated and that’s why you react in this way,” said Mitsotakis. “What will you leave behind when you abandon power? The third, unnecessary memorandum? Pension cuts? A new system of corruption?”
A great deal of discussion focused on the government’s controversial auction of TV licenses that Mitsotakis said would, in the future, be used as a “case study at universities” to give students an example as to corruption in practice. Mitsotakis demanded snap elections. “The country does not deserve to have you as the prime minister,” he said, accusing the leftist leader of attempting to “transform Greece into Venezuela.”
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