«I have never even picked up a single pebble to throw it and cause harm. »This is the tradition of the Left that I have served for years, from various angles—both outside and within the parliamentary system. Because this is my path,” said the Thodoris Dritsas who took the floor in the plenary session and responded to the fierce criticism he had faced over the past few hours regarding his statement about November 17.
«I know that political competition is relentless, with plenty of underhanded tactics. Throughout my life, I have resisted this cutthroat reality and refused to give in.
I have paid dearly for this many times. I have no regrets, and I will not change. That is how I was, that is how I am, and that is how I will be for as long as I live. It is from this starting point that I approach my speech today,» said Theodoros Dritsas, emphasizing that before the Parliament—and through it, before the Greek people—he has a duty to account for his actions, to explain himself, and to make amends.
«I will not mention the distinguished lady at all, except at this point, Dora Bakoyannis. Neither for her article in *NEA* nor for her appearance on *SKAI* this morning. Ms. Bakoyannis also did an injustice to the president of SYRIZA Progressive Alliance as a whole, and to me personally as a human, moral, and political being. I have a responsibility because, indeed, I didn't make sure my words were absolutely clear, to the extent that the circumstances required, and to leave no room for multiple interpretations or misinterpretations. That responsibility—yes, I bear it. I was more relaxed than I should have been, trusting the local radio station where I had been invited to give the interview.
As a Piraeus native… we—the people of Piraeus, in general—consider this channel our own, and we always approach it with a positive attitude and faith. I take on this responsibility; I’ve taken it on from the very beginning. And for that reason—though not solely for that—mainly because I have the utmost respect for Ms. Bakoyannis for everything she has experienced in her personal and political life, and for all the significant events that have shaped her as a person along that path—because of this sincere respect, I will not argue with her,» said Thodoris Dritsas. He thus emphasized that he took the floor to defend «himself, his dignity, and the genuine truth of his words.».
As he also mentioned, throughout these past few days, both he and his party have been driven by two concerns, «Let this human life not be lost, just like every human life" and to prevent the political system from becoming even more corrupted, »on issues that are not of crucial importance and are not the ones that need to be resolved for the benefit of the Greek people.”.
«Political differences should be played out elsewhere, not there—and human lives should be saved,» Mr. Dritsas noted. He emphasized that he is not the only one saying this, but that most political parties, intellectuals, civil rights organizations, and constitutional scholars—who speak of the absolute right to the protection of life—have said the same; legal experts have said it, New Democracy MP K. Tzavaras has said so, and Themis Sofos has said so as well. «And the government isn’t listening. And it’s baffling that it isn’t listening, in the name of ‘the resolve of a state that cannot be blackmailed.’», ,“ said the SYRIZA lawmaker, before going on to read his article in *Paron*, in which he outlined his views on the issue of Dimitris Koufontinas’s hunger strike.
«I have never even picked up a single pebble to throw it and commit an act of violence. That is the tradition of the Left that I have served for years, from various angles—both extra-parliamentary and institutional. Because that is my path. And it is not a personal matter. It is a collective one. And I have never accepted— neither I nor any of us, that anyone can assume the role, in the name of any idea, of becoming a punisher and executioner of those responsible for one issue or another.
These are my principles. These are our principles. Let’s ensure that, on the occasion of November 17, what happened back when she was at the height of her power—and the political system was under her influence, even reaching the point of incriminating whom? The then-chairman of PASOK, the Andreas Papandreou, as the leader of the November 17 group, and the Pericles Korovessis »etc.," said Theodoros Dritsas, referring to a passage from Alexis Papachelas's book about his life Konstantinos Mitsotakis, in which he is quoted as saying that he is convinced that the hardline faction of PASOK was behind the November 17 attacks.
«Is it possible that we shouldn’t put all these issues aside? And what I said in my interview—obviously I didn’t express myself clearly—but that’s what I said, that’s what I meant to say, and that’s what I said,» Mr. Dritsas stated. As he emphasized, The phrase «no one has been terrorized by the November 17 group» meant that terrorism in Greece did not take hold, as happened in Italy, where the situation reached the brink of civil war. «It didn’t happen in Greece. Let’s not let it happen again. That was my response, amid interruptions, pressure, and so on. And if anyone reads the entire statement, without prejudice, they’ll understand very well what I said and why the uproar followed. »I immediately issued a statement to set the record straight,” said the SYRIZA lawmaker, admitting that his statement was indeed unfortunate.
