JOURNALIST: A research was made by the Financial and Economic Crime Unit (S.D.O.E.) on adulterated fuel in the Army.  If fuel adulteration has reached the army, woe betide us! This morning, I woke Dimitris Avramopoulos up at 5 a.m. We have him on the phone. Good morning Mr. Avramopoulos.

D. AVRAMOPOULOS: Good morning Mr. Aftias. Good morning to your whole company there and to all those who listen to us.

JOURNALIST: How are you doing? Are you well?

D. AVRAMOPOULOS: I am just fine. The issues developing all around are those that trouble us. I am familiar with the issue you searched me for. It is an old issue; it came up more or less 2-3 years ago. I had been informed by the pertinent services of the Army as soon as I assumed my duties and, of course, we principally support and assist the Financial and Economic Crime Unit in its Research, which concerns, except the Armed Forces, the Security Corps. We have not been informed yet on the conclusion.

I have to tell you one thing; that, unfortunately, the Armed Forces are the victim of this whole story. The research goes on, severe directives have been given to all directions and, of course, it is redundant to say that, following the conclusion provided by the Financial and Economic Crime Unit, liability will be imposed.

The time must come that these kinds of things will cease to exist in Greece. It is one more phenomenon of the corruption accompanying the political life of the post Regime change era and against which all governments – irrespective of political parties – should, of course, be inexorable and relentless.

JOURNALIST: Mister Minister, the article in the newspaper “Kathimerini” states that in cities like Veria and Patras, the controllers have located private cars which go about petrol stations and offer fuel loads at prices ranging at 60% of the litre price, so we are referring to a situation that you should prevent at any cost.

D. AVRAMOPOULOS: Mr. Aftias, I have to tell you that all this regards the past and such practices no longer exist. All what you describe are part of the research that is ongoing but pertain to 2-3 years ago. However, I must assure you that since these charges were brought a year ago, all fuel dispensing stations are fully controlled and special counters have been placed. It is an issue of the past.

JOURNALIST: In any case, I am glad you confirm the reportage.

D. AVRAMOPOULOS: Did you have any doubt that we would reveal, but also support, the research concerning anything having to do with such concerns?

JOURNALIST: You fully confirm the newspaper’s reportage. Thank you for that.

D. AVRAMOPOULOS: To be honest, I cannot tell you everything, since they touch aspects of this research that are still under way. What will the conclusion be, that is something for us and for those directly concerned to know. I told you earlier that this is something pertaining not only to the Armed Forces, but also to the Security Corps. We should underline here that, when I was Mayor of Athens, we had detected ten years ago a similar issue in the municipality. And, naturally, heads had fallen. It seems that such things were the custom. Let’s hope that they will all end and we will put the country on the right road.

JOURNALIST: We receive the Sunday newspapers early Saturday afternoon. So, yesterday afternoon, I took the newspaper “To Vima” and I saw you in a wonderful drawing and right on top… of course I see that the uniform suits you.

D. AVRAMOPOULOS: What do you mean? Am I serving my military service all over again?

JOURNALIST: I see a coalition government even in the case of majority. But Samaras steams up with this statement.

D. AVRAMOPOULOS: I do not know what you mean; yet I know what I said.

JOURNALIST: What did you say?

D. AVRAMOPOULOS: What you read in the newspaper.

JOURNALIST: That if the ‘Nea Demokratia’ party will get 151-152, you can’t do it on your own?

Δ.ΑΒΡΑΜΟΠΟΥΛΟΣ: First of all, Mr. Aftias, let’s get some things straight. Understanding and cooperation are the deeper meaning and the great value of Democracy itself.

However, co-government and co-operation are two different things. No one talks about joint government. Read carefully my interview please. It is very clear, from all points of view. This is not something new. As far as I am concerned, this has been for years the value of my political view, as well as of many Greeks; that we need to understand each other and cooperate in view of great national matters. Democracy is the political art of synthesis.

In the face of such critical circumstances, ‘Nea Demokratia’ has explicitly said that we shall open up from the very next day, with a spirit of understanding and cooperation, so as to rise a national front in front of the great problems this country faces. Still, co-government and co-operation are two different things.

How can this be done in practice? You introduce a complete proposal plus a national agenda and you call everyone to cooperate with you so that the programme will succeed. If what we propose now had been done by ‘PASOK’ two years ago, this country’s luck would have been different. Back then, some believed that they had the magic wand and that they could solve the problem, leaving the other political authorities aside. The culture of understanding is Democracy’s supreme value.

JOURNALIST: So, you are talking about co-operation and not co-government.

D. AVRAMOPOULOS: But, it is clear. You only have to read the interview.

JOURNALIST: Exactly.

D. AVRAMOPOULOS: This term is not reported, anywhere.

JOURNALIST: I see. Mr. Avramopoulos, are you in favour of a united centre-right, so that it will be able to move ahead? Because, the ‘Nea Demokratia’ party is 3 units down after the most recent developments.

D. AVRAMOPOULOS: Leave the polls aside. Lately, pollsters are misfortunate. See what happened at the last election. They were saying one thing, it turned out to be the other. Things have completely changed.

The polls are not the ones to guide us, but our perceptions, principles, programmes and goals.

As far as the question you made. The ‘Nea Demokratia’ party is a big movement, not just a political party. It is a movement extending, as defined explicitly by its founder, the nation’s leader Konstantinos Karamanlis, from the outskirts of democratic Right to the confines of democratic Left. Consequently, we cannot talk about a united ‘Nea Demokratia’. ‘Nea Demokratia’ is united. It is cohesive, it is organised, its potential is efficient.

Lately, it has opened its doors and a stream of young people has entered to enhance its human resources but also its ideas. ‘Nea Demokratia’ keeps its doors open. Whoever accepts, countersigns and embraces its framework of values, its programme and its positions, can enter.

JOURNALIST: Another question; all those who were removed from the party for any reason, since a MP’s opinion is his opinion and it is within his role not to accept any interference to what he believes; my question is, should they come back, so that the party can move ahead, more powerful?

D. AVRAMOPOULOS: Mr. Aftias, I was a MP as well, I no longer am since, as you know, I resigned. As MP I had, and I still have, my views as well. I can convey it to the party, I can convey it to the collective bodies, I contribute to the fertilization of the common political ground. Since the party of ‘Nea Demokratia’ stated clearly its position at the time, by its leader, everyone was judged by the stand they finally chose. It is the future that will ultimately reveal what will happen after that.

JOURNALIST: I read today in the newspaper “Isotimia” the intervention of Karamanlis in favour of Samaras. He will call the people to vote for a stability choice. Have you been informed on that? That Karamanlis will declare a general mobilization in the world of the centre-right?

D. AVRAMOPOULOS: Mr. Karamanlis is not a member of some other party. What are you talking about? This is the matter-of-course, performed by all the members of the party. I didn’t understand your question.

JOURNALIST: We are now confused who is with whom and what does he do with whom.

D. AVRAMOPOULOS: Is it possible discussing such things? It’s like you starting your broadcast tomorrow morning by saying “Avramopoulos supports the ‘Nea Demokratia’ party”.

Let’s get serious. We are all organized within a line, in the spirit of understanding and cooperation. Consequently, ‘Nea Demokratia’ does not need such statements and stances, since it is the matter-of-course for all of us. All the members, if asked right now, we would tell you what we think is right and, as I said, self-evident for the party. All together, united, at the front line. The contribution of the previous leadership and of the previous and current members of the party has been significant. The party is not only defined by the politicians in commission, but also from all those who traditionally and historically have contributed to building, constructing and governing it, so that tomorrow, all together, as a party, our social basis included, we will claim the great responsibility during these hard times, to take the governing of the country into our hands.

JOURNALIST: You have been clear.

D. AVRAMOPOULOS: Always in the spirit we referred to previously in our discussion.

JOURNALIST: You have been clear, Mr. Avramopoulos, thank you.

D. AVRAMOPOULOS: Thank you too. Have a nice day.

JOURNALIST: Thank you for this discussion and especially for this honour.