Alexis Tsipras called for an emergency debate in Parliament on surveillance.

Alexis Tsipras spoke by phone a short while ago with the Speaker of the Hellenic Parliament, Konstantinos Tasoulas, according to a statement from SYRIZA-PS, in which he requested an emergency debate outside the regular agenda on the issue of the surveillance of politicians and journalists.

Specifically, according to the same announcement, the president of SYRIZA informed Ms. Tasoula that he had submitted a letter requesting the suspension of Parliament’s summer recess and the scheduling of an emergency debate on the agenda of the Plenary Session regarding the surveillance of politicians and journalists by the National Intelligence Service (EYP), which reports to the Prime Minister.

As Alexis Tsipras states in his letter to Mr. Tasoulas, «the country’s political life is going through one of its most critical moments in the post-dictatorship era,» and «the Prime Minister, taking advantage of the fact that we are in the summer recess, attempted to avoid the necessary process of extensive and public accountability in the forum where it naturally belongs, i.e., in Parliament, and chose instead to deliver a message via a pre-recorded video announcement with a prepared script.».

It should also be noted that Alexis Tsipras asked Mr. Tasoulas to fulfill his self-evident democratic duty to facilitate the prompt exercise of all legislative and parliamentary oversight powers, and, as an exceptional measure, to schedule a debate on the agenda.

«SYRIZA—Progressive Alliance believes that “light must be shed immediately on what has happened through the highest possible process of critical scrutiny and debate in the Plenary Session of Parliament,”» the statement concludes.

SYRIZA on Mitsotakis's statements: Arrogant, unrepentant, and a liar—he didn't have the courage to resign

SYRIZA’s Parliamentary Group issued a harsh statement describing him as «arrogant, unrepentant, and a liar» in response to the prime minister’s remarks, adding that «he did not have the courage to do what is self-evident for any liberal European democracy—namely, to resign.».

The official opposition comments that «the 48-hour deadline he gave himself to explain himself unfortunately did not even begin to restore Mr. Mitsotakis’s relationship with the truth» and that «he came across as arrogant and unrepentant, in addition to being a liar. He sought mitigating circumstances on the grounds of diminished responsibility, attempting to convince us that he was unaware of what was happening even in the most nationally sensitive areas of the state’s executive branch.».

Specifically, SYRIZA states that Mr. Mitsotakis «has added to the lies of Mr. Oikonomou, Mr. Gerapetritis, Mr. Pierrakakis, and those in his inner circle—who for weeks have been denying the surveillance— the monstrous lie that he knew nothing about the surveillance of Nikos Androulakis—which he continues to characterize as lawful.».

He further states that «he praised the EYP’s national role, but in his attempt to shirk his own responsibilities, he did not hesitate to portray it as an agency that is not only disorganized but also out of control.».

SYRIZA emphasizes that the prime minister «did not dare to even utter the word »Predator,’ attempting to gloss over confirmed instances of surveillance using this software, which the government even denies having been procured by government agencies.”.

He notes that Mr. Mitsotakis «referred only to the case of Androulakis’s surveillance, without, however, explaining how and why the EYP decided to take such an unprecedented action» and «he also did not say a word about the surveillance of journalists, such as Th. Koukakis.».

Furthermore, SYRIZA accuses him of «failing to answer the question that is on the public’s mind and that SYRIZA has raised: how many more citizens, journalists, and politicians the EYP placed under surveillance during his time in government, and why.».

He also notes that Mr. Mitsotakis «presented himself as a reformer of the EYP, even though he himself has stubbornly rejected all relevant proposals from SYRIZA and the opposition.» He further adds that «he appointed one of his confidants as its head, even going so far as to change the law,» and that «he stripped the Hellenic Data Protection Authority (ADAE) of its right to inform the “targets” of surveillance through a late-night amendment,» and that «he orchestrated a cover-up and a campaign of lies regarding the surveillance of Androulakis. To the point where the Maximos propaganda machine went so far as to implicate third countries in the scandal, as well as to spread despicable slander against the president of PASOK-KINAL.».

The official opposition party emphasizes that «Mr. Mitsotakis convinced us of one thing with his poorly executed attempt at a televised apology. That he is guilty, but also that he will stop at nothing—no lie, no hypocrisy, no distortion—to save himself.» Furthermore, he argues that «he did not have the courage to do what is self-evident for any liberal European democracy. That is, to resign,» noting that «this is a major political mistake, which adds to the political crime of the surveillance.».

In closing, SYRIZA assures the prime minister that «the truth will not be buried under the concrete of controlled media coverage and the mud of his propaganda machine. The abscess has burst, and the truth will come to light, whether he likes it or not. Events have already overtaken him.».