ND calls on PM to ditch MEP candidate after reports she claimed pension of dead mother for over 5 years

Greece’s conservative opposition has called on Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras to remove Myrsini Loizou from SYRIZA’s ticket ahead of the upcoming European Parliament elections following reports that the leftist candidate has been convicted of collecting the retirement pension of her deceased mother.

According to reports in the local media this week, Loizou, daughter of late composer Manos Loizos, was in February 2017 found guilty of stealing about 52,000 euros in benefits from the state over five-and-a-half years. According to the same reports, Loizou was given a two-and-a-half-year suspended sentence.

“It’s impossible that SYRIZA was not aware of her conviction,” New Democracy said in a statement Friday.