When democracy and the rule of law in Europe are challenged from the shadows, citizens deserve a full explanation. The Party of European Socialists (PES) demands full transparency from Greek prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis over political wiretapping scandal.
Prime minister Mitsotakis has admitted that Greece’s National Intelligence Service (EYP) – which reports directly to the prime minister’s office – spied on Nikos Androulakis, a member of the European Parliament and the leader of the Greek socialist opposition party PASOK, a full member party of the PES.
PES President Sergei Stanishev said:
“The Greek people and the European democratic community need to know how this happened. Why was this wiretap ordered? Who knew about it, and when? And have other opposition politicians been spied on in Greece?
“Prime Minister Mitsotakis must match words with actions. If he really believes that bugging an opposition politician’s phone is unacceptable, he should commit to full transparency on this incident.
“Greek voters, and all European citizens, deserve a full account of why politicians are being spied on by the Greek intelligence service.”
The National Intelligence Service answers directly to the prime minister’s office, a change Mitsotakis brought about himself in 2019 after winning the Greek general election.
European socialists and democrats believe that Mitsotakis has serious questions to answer and will continue supporting Nikos Androulakis and PASOK as they fight for transparency and justice.