Opposition parties urge PM to expel former minister over assault allegations
Greek opposition parties on Wednesday urged the country’s conservative prime minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, to expel a former minister from his party following allegations of assault.
The 51-year-old New Democracy MP, who previously served as minister for rural development and minister for sports, apologized earlier on Wednesday after footage emerged of him assaulting staff at Athens International Airport. The details of the incident are still unclear, but it appears to have been sparked when he was denied boarding on a flight to Iraklio, Crete, due to his late arrival at the gate. Avgenakis attempted to minimize the incident as a “verbal” disagreement and preempted calls for his resignation, stating they were unwarranted.
“The actions are unacceptable, and we unequivocally condemn them. After viewing the relevant video, it is evident that there was violent behavior. I am unsure whether Mr Avgenakis’ actions constitute assault. Regardless, the prime minister must dismiss and expel Mr Avgenakis today, as he has exhibited behaviors that exceed acceptable conduct,” said SYRIZA spokesperson Voula Kehagia.
“He cannot remain in the New Democracy parliamentary group after such behavior. If the allegations from the workers’ federation, claiming that Mr Avgenakis invoked his [parliamentary] immunity, are true, the situation is even more serious,” she added.
PASOK also issued a statement condemning the incident and calling for Avgenakis’ immediate removal.
“The shameful and violent behavior of former Minister of Rural Development and New Democracy MP Lefteris Avgenakis towards an employee at Athens International Airport is utterly condemnable. Mr Avgenakis’ delayed ‘apology,’ issued 24 hours later and only after being summoned for explanations by the Speaker of the Parliament, fails to convince. Such behaviors are unacceptable; they reflect arrogance, and it is our duty to isolate them because they undermine the integrity of politics,” the party said.
