Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis invited main opposition leader Alexis Tsipras to introduce a censure motion against his government in Parliament, "otherwise you are a bully", during a debate of party leaders in Parliament on revelations that the phones of politicians and journalists have been placed under surveillance by the National Intelligence Service (EYP).

In his response to the main opposition, Mitsotakis challenged SYRIZA-Progressive Alliance leader Tsipras to assert before Parliament in the off-the-agenda discussion that he himself did not eavesdrop on any politician, journalist, or business owner during his government. "If you assert it and do it, you will have broken the law, because no prime minister is able to know who EYP 'listens to' - nobody. No prime minister has the ability and the right to know whom the National Intelligence Service has placed under surveillance. I don't know who is under surveillance," Mitsotakis said.

He was addressing himself to Tsipras, who charged that Mitsotakis himself had personally ordered the surveillance of Nikos Androulakis shortly before the latter was elected leader of PASOK-Movement for Change (KINAL). "You are so certain about it, that I wondered as I listened to you, are you basing this on your own behavior? Because, as you know, here we have your word against mine," the PM continued in his first response to Tsipras.

The premier said that intelligence services should be able to place under surveillance anyone, regardless of position, as long as there is specific proof. "Yes, we agree on this, I believe, that in cases of political personalities there should be a much stricter documentation filter, which would justify such a surveillance," Mitsotakis said, while pointing out that it was Syriza's government that had done away with the need for a second prosecutor's signature on surveillance approvals by EYP.

He also charged the main opposition with trying "present a mistake as a so-called generalized situtiation" about the state of democracy in Greece. The mistake with Androulakis was not an indication of widespread failures in either EYP or democratic institutions, he said, adding that "the procedure was legal, this is undisputable. In addition, the filters that were in place were not adequate to provide justification for Mr. Androulakis' surveillance, that's why the EYP director and the prime minister's secretary general were removed." 

Throughout, the premier expressed his support for the work EYP did that was often not visible, adding that it had warned the government ahead of a "massive migrants invasion" planned by Turkey at the borders with Evros.  

Mitsotakis also accused the Syriza leader of leaking the confidential meeting of the parliamentary Special Permanent Committee on Institutions and Transparency that met on Wednesday to confirm Themistocles Demiris as new EYP head, doing so "live, to media friendly to you, and you also quoted Mr. Demiris as saying things he never said."

He called on parties to show unity instead of providing opportunities for enemies of Greece to bring it down and called on the investigating committee expected to be set up in Parliament that its report includes specific proposals besides findings.

Turning to Pasok-Kinal, the premier asked parliamentary representative Michail Katrinis why he keeps asking the prime minister to provide the reasons that Androulakis was wiretapped. "You know that the answer to this could only be provided through a confidential briefing process. My question to you, Mr. Katrinis, is, Why doesn't Mr. Androulakis go to get briefed," despite being invited by the prime minister to do so, Mitsotakis said. (Androulakis was not able to be present at the debate.)
 

See also:

PM Mitsotakis to Parliament: None of our initiatives must undermine the work done by EYP