Spartiates leader accuses his absent MPs of being ‘guided by foreign centres’, expels three of them

Opposition party Spartiates leader Vassilis Stigas lashed out at his MPs who did not attend parliament at Thursday’s debate on the wildfires, expelling three of them.

“I am listed in Guinness book of Records, sitting here alone. The gentlemen who are not here today are guided and motivated by foreign, non-parliamentary entities. It is my firm opinion. These centres relate to a Greek Mafia and Don Corleone,” Stigas claimed, noting that “they are told what to do, when and how they will do it. While fires are still burning throughout the country, and we now have national issues to discuss and there are thousand of problems facing us, some choose to do their own thing in the midst of this situation. But I am not afraid, I am standing high. I have fallen and stood up again many times in my life. I fear nothing and no one.”

Parliament speaker

Parliament President Constantine Tassoulas urged the head of Spartiates party to send him a letter stating if his party’s parliamentary group exists or not, after his accusations against his party deputies who did not show up in Parliament.

“I understand from what you said today in parliament that your speech today serves as the swan song of your party’s parliamentary group as it stands today, and with very serious complaints. I will read the minutes, but I want you to know that is reasonable to expect the statement of this development in writing, in order for the necessary document to be issued,” Tasoulas noted after Stigas’ railing at his party deputies’ absence, claiming that they are guided and motivated by extra-institutional centres.

Stigas tabled a letter with Tassoulas after the request that contained the expulsion of three deputies.

On fires

On the wildfires, Stigas said: “The prevention mechanism for wildfires appears like a luxury that the government is allergic to, which government refuses to draw up a serious prevention plan for the effective management of the wildfires that are definitely expected to break out the next summer.”

He added that “the government uses the exact same defence line it used in the past for any other crisis […] and is trying to persuade citizens that current conditions prevailing are those of war and that wandering among citizens are invisible enemies that threaten their health, lives, land and finally their security, [claiming that] for everything, climate change and the extreme weather phenomena are to blame.”