Greek government survives no-confidence vote ahead of elections

The Greek government, as expected, survived a no-confidence vote on Friday following a motion by the country’s opposition leader over a wiretapping scandal that propelled the center-right governing party ahead of the election.

Of the 300 MPs, 143 voted in favor of the motion of no confidence and 156 against. One legislator was absent.

The vote followed a heated three-day parliamentary debate. The motion was expected to fail, as the ruling New Democracy party has a comfortable majority of 156 seats.

Alexis Tsipras, leader of the main opposition party, said on Wednesday when he introduced the motion that it would force Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to publicly respond to the scandal, which reportedly saw a range of high-ranking politicians, ministers and military officers under surveillance.

During Friday’s bitter debate, Tsipras accused Mitsotakis of personally ordering the wiretapping.

“You knew full well that the surveillance had taken place, and you knew full well that the guard had taken place because you ordered it, Mr. Mitsotakis,” Tsipras said.

The wiretapping scandal erupted in earnest in August, when a top government official and the country’s intelligence chief resigned after revelations that a socialist politician – who was later elected head of Greece’s third-largest party – was under telephone supervision was.

Mitsotakis maintained at the time that the wiretapping was legal but inappropriate, and that had he known about it, he would not have approved it.

The government also later introduced legislation that tightened the rules on the use of spyware in the country.

“The government and I have spoken out clearly from the start,” Mitsotakis said in response to Tsipras’ speech, noting that he had assumed political responsibility, replaced people in specific positions linked to the scandal and that the government had recently voted on legislation amending the functioning of Greece’s national intelligence services.

This was done, Mitsotakis said, “without ignoring the mistakes made, but also without our intention to dismantle a critical state structure, whose overall contribution to national security, I repeat, must not be overshadowed through isolated mistakes and missteps. .”

Allegations that other senior officials, journalists and cabinet members were also targeted by spyware that can snoop on phone calls, stored contacts and data, and access device microphones and cameras, prompted an inquest.

Speaking to parliament on Wednesday, Tsipras said Greece’s Communications Security and Privacy Authority had confirmed, following a request he had made for more information, that others who had also been placed under telephone surveillance included Greece’s own labor minister. the government, the Chief of the National Defense General Staff, the former Chief of the Army, a former National Security Adviser, and the former and current Chiefs of Defense Armaments.

“How patriotic is it for you to have the leadership of the armed forces under surveillance? I’m asking you,” Tsipras said on Friday.

While still ahead of Syriza in polls, New Democracy has seen its strong lead hurt by the scandal and by the rising cost of living. Greece will hold elections in the first half of 2023, although no date has yet been set.