Politics
PASOK's Androulakis: Ethnic cleansing taking place in Gaza, Greek gov't response comes late
Πέμπτη 22 Μαΐου 2025, 21:23

What is happening in Gaza is ethnic cleansing, not lawful defense, and the reaction of the Greek government on the tragic conditions has come late, PASOK-Movement for Change (KINAL) leader Nikos Androulakis told Mega TV on Thursday.

"What is going on there is ethnic cleansing. Every civilized people of Europe must support the immediate ceasing of ethnic cleansing. All of us in Europe condemned Hamas. We said 'Yes, Israel has the right to lawful defense,' but to get from this point to tolerate ethnic cleansing?" Androulakis said.

The PASOK-KINAL leader commented on Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis' comments on Skai radio, saying that "Mitsotakis' identification with [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu does not honor the government of New Democracy. The Greek people and our country always identify with respect to international laws and human rights.

This is in our interest, this is our culture, this is our understanding as people. We have been traumatized by powers that do not respect international law. And I am not speaking of Cyprus alone, where Greece has a large open issue, [or] our stance before Ukraine. I do not understand why we have a different approach on the Palestinian issue, and especially that of Gaza."

Androulakis also criticized Mitsotakis' decision to end permanency in the civil sector, calling out the government for what he said was "hypocrisy to have ruled for six years, have voted in laws to bring meritocracy in the public sector, and have 80% of division heads and general directors be party choices." PASOK supports a civil service that resembles those in large European countries like France and Germany, where there is permanency but evaluation of work as well within a framework.

Among other things, the PASOK-KINAL president also spoke of the mismanagement of agricultural funds from the EU. "I expected the prime minister to say something about a huge scandal. Greek taxpayers will pay a fine of over 300 million euros, and he has said nothing. Compensations are threatened, the entire structure of the primary sector will be threatened in the near future because they are expecting funding," Androulakis said.