Mitsotakis in Parliament: “The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier Does Not Belong to Any Government or Any Party”

With a clear message in favor of protecting the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and preventing any form of protest or political exploitation in that space, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis spoke in Parliament on Tuesday during the debate on the amendment regulating the management status of the Monument.

The Prime Minister described the site as “a sacred place of coexistence,” which, as he said, “does not belong to any government, any party, any organization, or any individual.” He emphasized that it “is a place of remembrance for those who fell for the homeland and must be safeguarded.”

“The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier symbolizes the unity of Greeks against any national enemy,” he said, adding that “it represents the very definition of a place of coexistence, not confrontation.”

According to Mr. Mitsotakis, the key question today is “whether we want to preserve this character of the site”—a question to which, as he noted, the government’s answer is affirmative. “Protests unrelated to its purpose will not be permitted, nor will demonstrations be accepted, however reasonable their demands may sound,” he stressed.

Responsibility transferred to the Ministry of Defense

The Prime Minister noted that for decades there had been “a blurred landscape of responsibilities” concerning the Monument, which had “often been turned into a stage for partisan exploitation.” He announced that responsibility will henceforth rest with the Ministry of National Defense, “where it rightfully belongs—a cenotaph honoring the anonymous fighter who fell for freedom.”

As he explained, the Ministry of Defense will be responsible for the site’s maintenance, care, and preservation, while the Police will ensure its protection.

Responding to the opposition’s criticism—particularly to the interventions of Zoe Konstantopoulou, leader of the “Course of Freedom” party—Mr. Mitsotakis remarked pointedly: “Ms. Konstantopoulou, you are the most vivid example of what I am describing.”

“Pain must not become an object of exploitation”

The Prime Minister also made extensive reference to the Tempi train tragedy, accusing opposition parties of “ruthless exploitation of the relatives’ pain.” “Unity must come before protest. Respect must come before shouting,” he said.

Referring to the demonstration by parents of the victims outside the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the Prime Minister noted that, despite respecting their grief, “a form of activism at the national Monument does not serve their cause.” “Their demand is for justice—and that will come through the trial,” he added.

Commenting on the request of one victim’s father, Mr. Routsis, to exhume his child’s remains, Mr. Mitsotakis said that “the government empathizes with any parent seeking to learn the truth about their child’s death,” and welcomed the court’s decision to grant the request. “I hope the exhumations proceed, because parents deserve the answers they seek,” he said.

At the same time, he urged the parents “to consider whether they are giving room to unscrupulous politicians to appropriate their mourning.”

“The Monument is not a bulletin board for protest demands”

“The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is not a bulletin board for posting protest demands,” the Prime Minister underlined, stressing that “in many capitals of the world, such as Paris or Washington, such monuments are never disputed.” “The need to protect them does not mean those democracies are any less democratic than ours,” he said pointedly.

Referring to previous incidents of vandalism—such as at the monument to the victims of the Marfin tragedy—Mr. Mitsotakis remarked: “There was a simple and discreet memorial, which was destroyed time and again by groups of the extra-parliamentary Left.”

Concluding, the Prime Minister once again addressed the opposition: “There is today a memorial for the victims of Tempi—a tasteful monument at Technopolis, an initiative of the Mayor of Athens. But I doubt any of you have visited it.”

With the submitted amendment, the government seeks to formally define the use and protection of the Monument—in an effort, as the Prime Minister said, “to safeguard a place that belongs to all Greeks and must remain a space of unity, respect, and national remembrance.”

Source: pagenews.gr