The Alternate Minister of National Defence Panos Rigas, in an interview he gave on Friday 17 May 2019, to the “gia tin Ellada (for Greece)…” TV show of the Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation Channel 1 and to the journalist Spyros Haritatos, stated among other things the following:

Regarding the political developments as we get closer to the 26th May elections:

The issue with Mr Mitsotakis is not about him having some difficulty expressing his proposals clearly and having his words constantly misunderstood. This is his real political programme: all the statements he has made so far and the ones he currently makes. This programme is represented by his effort to publicly raise the issue of a 7 workdays scenario, the view that the 8-hour shifts are out-of-date, the commitment that the one to five rule will apply resulting in no personnel intake in the public sector. During the above process, he revealed his plan regarding the Health Sector, suggesting something worse than privatisation: civil servants working under contract in the private sector. The working people, who went through hardships due to the New Democracy and the Movement for Change parties, should not be allowed to return to such conditions.

It seems though that Mr Mitsotakis does not manage the circumstances well enough. His public appearances and his performance seem to be insufficient. That is why we see Mr Marinakis, the true leader of the New Democracy party, come to the frontlines as we come closer to the elections, completely guiding the political stance of the opposition through interviews. This is an unprecedented incident, an entrepreneur who has very serious pending issues with the Law, playing the political role of the opposition, one week before the elections. We wish that the man is innocent, however the fact that an accused person promotes himself and constantly tries to impose his agenda to the New Democracy party, through an organised Mass Media and fake news group, leaves a bad impression. He will fail. The Greek people are not stupid.

With regard to the legislative initiatives and the opposition’s claims that they constitute political favours:

They are measures that favour the working people, the people who suffered because of the devastating policy of the New Democracy party. The Greek people fully understand the nature of the issues put under vote in the Parliament recently. They understand whether they constitute political favours or support for the social classes that went through hardships. They are issues concerning problems of the working people. They are currently under enactment, since the memoranda, the fiscal surveillance and the stifling commitment ended in August 2018. We finally have the country’s total financial control and we decide how to move forward.

In reference to Mr Avgenakis’ claim about falsification of the election results:

It is a wretched statement made by Mr Avgenakis. We respond to his wretchedness by reminding him that it is the right wing that has a vast experience of violence and falsification, not the left wing. I refer to notorious periods of the past which I believe no one wants to relive. After the fall of the dictatorship, our democracy has a different context and unfortunately such opinions, such statements by politicians do not serve this context, which moreover was not marked by a person of the left wing, but by the founder of the New Democracy party himself, Mr Konstantinos Karamanlis. Let us not go back. Democracy has functioned properly in our country since 1974. There haven’t been any such incidents and this is due to the democratic arc.

About A. Tsipras’ reference to Velouchiotis during his address in Lamia:

It was a symbolic reference about a city which is historically connected to this man. We do not betray our history. We do not betray the values and the struggles fought by these people to liberate the country, against fascism, against those Greeks who betrayed our country and stood by the Nazis. We honour this choice of those who sacrificed their lives. We must put an end to the game played by the New Democracy’s far right wing concerning the false ideas of the left wing and the dream to end the ideological prevalence of the progressive world.

On the subject of the Turkish provocative stance:

I can fully guarantee that the country’s independence and territorial integrity are assured. No one should think otherwise. This is our answer to the allied country. Our country is a pillar of stability and peace in the region and this is acknowledged worldwide. Turkey must be cautious. It cannot interpret the International Law and the international treaties selectively.

The recent tension is not without precedent. Nevertheless, there is the risk of an accident, due to the inefficiency or inexperience of the Turkish pilots. I believe in a peaceful resolution of problems and our Armed Forces’ strong deterrent power is the factor that guarantees both peace and national independence.