Greece: Mitsotakis wins no-confidence vote
Greece's conservative Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis survived a vote of no confidence on Friday. The 156 votes secured by his Nea Dimokratia party were enough to thwart the motion put forward by Alexis Tsipras, leader of the left-wing Syriza party, which was backed by 143 MPs. The motion was prompted by accusations that the EYP, Greece's primary intelligence service, had been preemptively wiretapping the devices of politicians, journalists and military personnel. The EYP reports directly to the head of government.
Authoritarianism is spreading
Traditionally close to Mitsotakis' Nea Dimokratia, Kathimerini is nonetheeless unhappy with this result:
“All's well that ends well? No, not for our fragile democracy. This case leaves many questions and even more wounds that are likely to become more painful over time. ... But the biggest wound this case will leave behind is the spread of the authoritarian logic. Until now, only the far right considered the violation of fundamental rights in the name of national interests legitimate. Now authoritarianism is taking on a concrete form: the need for independent authorities is being questioned; 'secrecy' is justified in all circumstances, even for the surveillance of ministers; preventive wiretapping measures are being proposed.”
This government must go
Avgi remains distrustful:
“The attitude of government MPs and the prime minister in the three-day debate on the no-confidence motion is an admission of guilt. ... The imperial arrogance, the fake news, the cynicism of 'we will not be accountable to you', as if the state and its institutions belonged to them, speak a clear language. ... As much as people in government hope that the issue of surveillance came to an end on Friday, they are mistaken. Instead, a new cycle of revelations and continuing questions is beginning. It is, however, becoming increasingly clear: the country will only find its way back to democracy and institutional normality if this government is removed.”