The embattled director of Greece’s National Theatre spoke to protothema.gr this week over his very public and contentious clash with the new alternate culture minister, charging that the latter continues to demand his resignation in order to appoint someone “close” to the ruling SYRIZA party.

The clash has been called a “vendetta” between the new minister, Nikos Xydakis, a newspaper editor before joining the Cabinet, and theatrical director Sotiris Hatzakis.
The latest episode deal with over the leftist government will table a draft bill envisioning the automatic firing of Hatzakis and another handful of directors of state-affiliated entities, like the National Theatre.

Hatzakis also didn’t mince his words when asked why Xydakis, according to him, is so hell-bent in demanding his resignation.

“The alternate minister of culture is a typical example of extreme (political) partisanship) of a pathogenic and divisive, civil war-era climate destroyed Greece at certain historical times. He simply wants to place political appointees beholden to the current government in these positions,” he said.