The government appears determined to take advantage of the hunger strike of Dimitris Koufontinas to put political pressure on the SYRIZA. The announcement of the Maximum last Saturday, as well as the statements made by the government spokesperson, Aristotelia Peloni, during the briefing for political editors on Monday, March 1.
Government officials are betting on the card “law and order”, in an attempt to steer the reactions of a public opinion that is clearly divided by recent developments, especially with regard to the protests and any incidents, which she will blame on the official opposition party.
To this end, the Prime Minister's Office has taken steps to reinstate the the theory of the two extremes, posing the rhetorical question to Koufontina’s defenders: Would they have done the same if, in the place of the November 17 perpetrator, there had been the Roupakias. Of course, his killer Pavlos Fyssas, he never complained about his treatment by the state.
The government, of course, is at the same time refraining from commenting on the allegations made by attorney Thanasis Kampagiannis that enacted a special law exclusively for Koufontinas, explicitly excluding those convicted of participating in the criminal organization Golden Dawn.
Given that Koufontinas is, understandably, detested by the majority of the public, The government equates those who raise questions about the rule of law with criminals. So By appealing to moral grounds, it aims to isolate SYRIZA and, in particular, to draw centrist voters away from the official opposition party. At the same time, he wants to rally right-wing voters and to shift the focus away from the Lignadis case.
What's interesting, though, is that The government also ignores the liberal voices of legal experts and columnists, such as Aristides Hatzis. It is telling that Ms. Peloni stated yesterday that the government will not respond to comments from private citizens and asked “whether all those who argue that the state must yield also believe that it should negotiate with other convicted criminals in the future.”.
Government officials, meanwhile, cited the letter sent yesterday by 41 judicial officials to the Union of Judges and Prosecutors, ignoring the question of why they themselves are not calling for a general assembly, which requires the signatures of one-third of the members. According to the government, moreover, it is only a small minority within SYRIZA that is objecting.
The government is washing its hands of the matter, holding Dimitris Koufontinas himself responsible for whatever happens, whom it calls on to end his hunger strike while refuting his defense attorney’s claims that it is, in fact, impossible for the prisoner to seek justice through the courts.
