Opposition SYRIZA says reshuffle an admission of ‘resounding failure’

The cabinet reshuffle announced on Tuesday is tantamount to a government admission of “resounding failure,” the main opposition SYRIZA party said in a statement issued shortly after the new government makeup was presented.

“With the choices he made, Mr. Mitsotakis has cynically admitted his resounding failure,” SYRIZA said, referring to Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

It pointed, in particular, to the replacement of Vassilis Kikilias at the Health Ministry and Michalis Chrysochoidis at the Ministry of Citizens’ Protection as indicating the government’s failure to efficiently manage the pandemic and the fires that razed large swathes of forestland and destroyed villages and homes in Attica, Evia and the Peloponnese earlier in August.

Mitsotakis, SYRIZA said, “hailed the ‘successful’ management of the pandemic by ousting Mr. Kikilias and putting an extreme rightist in his place,” it said, commenting on incoming health minister Thanos Plevris, formerly of the ultranationalist LAOS party.

“It celebrated that its ‘wildfire plan was a success’ and got rid of the responsible ministers,” SYRIZA added, in a reference to Chrysochoidis’ replacement by Panagiotis Theodorikakos but also to the transfer of Deputy Minister for Civil Protection and Crisis Management Nikos Hardalias to the Ministry of Defense from the Citizens’ Protection Ministry.

“Citizens have to deal with Mr. Mitsotakis’ failure on a daily basis,” SYRIZA added.