ND says SYRIZA undermining democracy over MEP candidate’s comments

Greece’s ruling conservatives have accused the leftist SYRIZA opposition of undermining the country’s democracy after a senior official suggested that it would be a “blessing” if the EU’s chief prosecutor investigating the 2013 Tempe railway disaster could potentially oust the government.

Speaking on One TV channel late Tuesday, Nikolaos Farantouris, a professor at the University of Piraeus and SYRIZA’s EU policy advisor, and a candidate in the upcoming European Parliament elections, defended Laura Kövesi, the head of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO), against alleged attempts by ruling officials “to discredit her as an individual and the institution she represents.”

“Laura Kövesi brought about the downfall of the Romanian government,” he remarked before being asked whether he hoped for a similar outcome in Greece.

“It would be a blessing,” Farantouris replied. “If [the government] covers up scandals, or avoids shedding light on the case,” he said, referencing Kövesi’s recent statements to Greek media where she lamented, “We are blocked from finding the truth and applying justice. Because if you are forbidden from doing the investigations, you cannot find out the truth.”

These remarks sparked a strong reaction from New Democracy, with the party’s spokesperson Nikos Romanos stating that Farantouris’ comments “confirmed that contempt for institutions and the undermining of democracy are intertwined with SYRIZA also under its new leadership.”

“Their sole concern regarding institutions is how to instrumentalize them to bring down the government, just as they previously sought to instrumentalize them to jail their political opponents while in power,” Romanos asserted, urging SYRIZA to exclude Farantouris from its candidate roster for the upcoming European vote.