Tension prevailed in the debate on the proposal of no confidence in the Parliament, when the president of the Electoral Alliance Zoe Konstantopoulou, in her intervention in plenary, said she did not like the fact that she was left tonight to represent the government and the prime minister “a Hun”, referring to the Minister of State Makis Voridis.
“After 18 years in Parliament, I don’t need to get my legitimacy from people who admire Stalin,” the state minister replied. However, Mrs Konstantopoulou‘s references also provoked the intervention of the presidium, with Thanasis Bouras pointing out to the president of the Electoral Alliance that the members of the national delegation are democratically elected in Parliament.
“I don’t like this, and I don’t allow it, representing the opposition. I would not leave the Parliament unattended, for democracy to be trampled on by Michaloliakos’ rival, the axe-wielding Mr. Voridis, who is the only one left to you, he is the foremost of your government, he was left on his feet by Mr. Mitsotakis, who said his wisecracks, his quips and left and left Mr. Voridis, with his grimaces, to remind us of the other democrat, Mr. Markopoulos, who claimed that he was having fun in the committee of inquiry into the crime of Tempi, “said the president of the Eleftherias Eleftherias and continued: “Control yourself, Mr. Voridis. Stop grimacing, grimacing, gesticulating, and consider that the answer, Mr Voridis, will not be given by you on Friday. That is simply the consolation you will give yourselves by voting to extend your stay in the positions of power, where you remain clinging to at the same time as the Greek people have long since deposed you. The citizens have given you the answer.”
Shortly afterwards, Zoe Konstantopoulou, addressing the benches of the coalition, said that the citizens have understood the government’s shenanigans and pretenses and “in the end they will step forward and finally make sure that they will not be some chair-people in the Parliament, “but to be people who are hurting, who are bending, who are defending human existence and democracy”.
The intervention of the president of the Electoral Alliance of Freedom caused a reaction from the chairman, Thanasis Bouras. “Madam President, I would strongly request you to delete the word ‘militarists. We are all democratically elected here, and I must tell you that I have been a politician for many years in the same constituency as Mr Voridis, who was elected by a very large majority of the Greek people and especially the very large region of Attica. If you do not delete it, it will be deleted from me,” Thanasis Bouras said and continued, “Here we are all democratically elected and democrats! And if anyone else has an objection from any wing, stand up and tell me.”
Applauding from the benches of the coalition, chairman Thanasis Bouras asked that the word be deleted from the minutes because “we are all democrats here” and “we are all here by the vote of the Greek people.” “I,” Mr. Bouras said, “feel honored that for 11 times the Greek people have honored me, along with Mr. Voridis.”
“You are the ultimate description of what it means to exploit human suffering vulgarly.”
“Fortunately, we have a constitution called parliamentary democracy, and my legitimacy, after 18 years in parliament, I don’t need to get it from people who admire Stalin. I don’t need legitimacy from there! Thank God!” State Minister Makis Voridis replied and continued: “I have been elected to Parliament for 18 years, my colleagues know if I have ever made personal attacks, they know that my confrontations are all ideological, programmatic, political. But I want to tell you something else. Indeed, Mrs Konstantopoulou, you are the ultimate example of what it means to exploit human suffering in a vulgar way. You fully confirm why Greek citizens have formed this belief about the opposition. 70% of you see and see in your face the vulgar exploitation of human suffering and human tragedy.”
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