MP Marios Salmas expelled from ND parliamentary group
MP Marios Salmas has been expelled from the ruling New Democracy parliamentary group following a decision by the party’s ethics committee on Monday. Early reports indicate that Salmas does not plan to relinquish his parliamentary seat and intends to continue serving as an independent MP.
His expulsion was requested by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who is currently in the United States, over the weekend. Salmas, who had angered Mitsotakis at a parliamentary group meeting after June’s European Parliament elections by accusing him of “serving the few instead of the many,” crossed the line one final time on Friday. He appeared on several TV programs accusing the government of manipulating bids for catering services in the culture and health ministries.
Back in June, Mitsotakis had responded sharply to Salmas’ criticism, warning that he “would not tolerate any insinuations.” Salmas’ continued challenge to the government’s ethics is what ultimately led to his expulsion, despite other dissenting conservative MPs.
Salmas is considered a member of the party’s populist wing. In February, he was among several lawmakers who refused to vote for the legalization of same-sex marriage, a government-backed bill that passed with opposition support. Last week, he and 10 other MPs from the populist faction submitted a parliamentary question accusing the government of failing to protect delinquent debtors from aggressive debt collection agencies, prompting a detailed rebuttal from the Finance Ministry.
Salmas’ expulsion reduces New Democracy’s parliamentary group to 156 members in the 300-seat Parliament. The party won 158 seats in the June 2023 national elections. Another MP and former minister, Lefteris Avgenakis, was expelled from the parliamentary group in July after footage surfaced showing him assaulting an airport employee.
Salmas, 56, a doctor by profession, has served as a New Democracy MP continuously since 2000. He briefly served as deputy health minister in 2009 and as alternate health minister from 2012 to 2013.
