The Alternate Minister of National Defence, Panos Rigas, in an interview he gave on Friday, 19 April 2019, on “REAL FM” radio to the journalist Nikos Hadjinikolaou, stated, among others, the following:
On P. Kammenos:
I shall never bring any petty political dispute in the Armed Forces. Mr. Kammenos should not unravel his own achievements little by little. It is something he does not deserve, it is something we do not deserve; we had a coalition which brought the country out of the economic crisis and the guardianship. We obviously had political divergence, in the known matter of the Prespes agreement, as well as in various other matters.
On the general circumstances during the country’s elections:
We need to discuss our actual problems and what has been done so far. This discussion does not concern the economy, or the fact that the country enters a phase of growth, that investments are being made, that we have abolished the subminimum and raised the minimum wage, or a series of other matters. New Democracy and its business patrons constantly switch the discussion towards scandal-mongering and yellowing. We ask for full transparency and answers to everything.
On Ev. Marinakis:
Yesterday he spoke publicly, as he understands that Mr. Mitsotakis cannot defend him as the informal leader of New Democracy. In a toxic way, he has begun shaping an image that does not reflect reality. He should answer though: who funds New Democracy? Who supports it with all his media? How many of Mr. Marinakis’ ships, who otherwise claims to be a patriot and a defender of Macedonia, travel under the Greek flag?
Mr. Marinakis claims whatever he wants, and then we are called to prove that we are not elephants. He claims to have met with members of the government. What is his point exactly? That, as he is dirty, anyone who meets him gets dirty as well?
This is not how it goes, the said businessman can’t just blatantly insult the government, own half the country’s newspapers and websites who continuously pass on fake news, while at the same time talking about his presumed relations with SYRIZA and the current government; this is preposterous.
