The scheduled discussion in the Greek parliament concerning the security of citizens and the refugee crisis turned into an acrimonious debate between Greek PM Alexis Tsipras and leader of conservative New Deocracy party Kyriakos Mitsotakis. Mitsotakis attacked Tsipras over the lack of security in Greece, citing the recent attack against Proto Thema by the far-left extremist group ‘Rubicon’, saying that media opposing the government were being targeted. The conservative leader warned that ‘the step from a ‘sledgehammer to a molotov and from a molotov to a kalashnikov’ was not far. He added New Democracy would accept a country that was an ‘unfenced backyard’. Tsipras said the country was an oasis of security, adding that it was one step before exiting the crisis. Mistotakis accused the government of its ‘leftist obsessions’ hindered its capacity to provide security to the Greek public. Mitsotakis dod not hold back on his criticism against the Prime Minister implying associations between SYRIZA members and the leftist anti-authoritarian groups. “A New Democracy government will not only restore economic and social normalcy, but a sense of safety for the citizens’, said Mitsotakis. The opposition leader accused the government of less policing on the streets that led to higher crime rates.

On his part, Alexis Tsipras avoided making reference to the progress of talks with Greece’s lenders, while he repeated the claim that his government was a ’success story’. On the security and the role of the police force, Tsipras said the new doctrine was that the Greek Police force was security forces was imbued with a ‘left principles’.