The Minister of National Defense, Nikos Dendias, arrived in Parliament to vote on the amendment concerning the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

His absence yesterday from Parliament — during the debate on the controversial amendment — continues to provoke varied reactions and commentary, even within the ranks of New Democracy.

Earlier, Adonis Georgiadis, speaking to parliamentary reporters and commenting on Dendias’ decision not to support the amendment regarding the Monument of the Unknown Soldier, said:

“The only case in which I would not speak on my own amendment is not only if I were in the ICU, but also in a coma.”

Delicate balances

The relationship between the Maximos Mansion (the Prime Minister’s office) and Defense Minister Nikos Dendias has naturally evolved into a balancing act, in the wake of yesterday’s parliamentary debate on the amendment designed to protect the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier by assigning responsibility for its care to the Ministry of National Defense.

Mr. Dendias did co-sign the amendment — and was informed of it before Mr. Mitsotakis publicly announced his intentions — but he did not attend the parliamentary session, instead sending his Deputy Minister, Thanasis Davakis. However, aside from the Justice Minister Giorgos Floridis, none of the six other ministers who co-signed the amendment were present on the government benches either.

At the same time, Dendias issued a written statement that carried tones of distinction from the government line, and at 7:00 p.m. he attended a Hellenic Army General Staff event at the Hotel Grande Bretagne, right next to Parliament.

From the podium of Parliament, Prime Minister Mitsotakis responded to an intervention by PASOK leader Nikos Androulakis, saying that if there were a problem with Dendias, he would not have co-signed the amendment.

Nevertheless, at Maximos Mansion, officials recognize the sensitivities of the situation — especially in light of Dendias’ written statement, which came out while Mitsotakis was debating the opposition.

In that statement, Dendias stressed that the monument “should not be used as a means of expressing political ambitions — it is a purpose in itself.” He also cited a comment by Kostas Tasoulas, noting that the monument should be shielded from current political affairs. It’s clear that Dendias’ decision to comment in writing, while absent from the debate, was deliberate, to signal his stance.

The government’s response

Sensing that the opposition was seeking to exploit Dendias’ absence to attack the government and stir internal division within New Democracy, Mitsotakis took two steps yesterday:
He left the plenary chamber for his office, where he called in close aides and ND’s parliamentary representative, Notis Mitarakis.

He tasked Mitarakis with responding to SYRIZA’s Socrates Famellos, emphasizing that there was no government rift, that seven ministers had co-signed the amendment, and that if SYRIZA doubted this unity, they could call for a roll-call vote.
He also instructed his aides to make clear that, since the law would pass, those with the relevant authority — including the Defense Ministry — would carry out their duties as legislated.

Next steps

At the Grande Bretagne event, in what was a rather predictable speech, Dendias remarked that “the Armed Forces clearly symbolize the sense of national unity and the pursuit of the greater good.”
Under normal circumstances, this comment would have drawn no notice — but in light of current developments, it is being interpreted independently.

The Prime Minister’s office, for its part, wishes to avoid any appearance of internal division or a two-speed government between Maximos Mansion and the Defense Ministry.

This does not mean, however, that Dendias’ subtle distinctions from the government line have gone unnoticed. As political observers note, Maximos does not want to allow Dendias to emerge as an autonomous power center within the government – and Dendias, for his part, is not pushing matters either.

According to reports, Mitsotakis and Dendias are expected to appear together at the major military parade on October 28 in Thessaloniki.

And the following day, October 29, after the morning Cabinet meeting, Mitsotakis plans – barring unforeseen circumstances — to attend the unveiling of the revamped courtyard of the Defense Ministry, a project by sculptor Kostas Varotsos.