For roughly 4.5 hours yesterday afternoon, from 18:30 to 23:00, dozens of New Democracy MPs unloaded on the ELTA CEO Grigoris Sklikas over the company restructuring plan, demanding he withdraw the plan to close 204 branches, while many asked him outright to resign.

It is puzzling, after what happened yesterday — and in some moments resembled a rodeo — how Mr Sklikas can remain in his post and proceed with a restructuring plan that ND MPs as a whole reject. And it also remains under examination how the majority will appear today at the Committees (13:00), with ELTA management and the Hyperfund (Hellenic Corporation of Assets & Participations) present — after what happened in yesterday’s teleconference.

All the above will be placed on the table at Maximos’ morning meeting, where the government will have to decide how to handle Parliament’s pending matter — and what the next steps are for a case that has evolved into a major intra-government crisis. Note: Kyriakos Mitsotakis will not visit Komotini today, as was originally scheduled.

It is obvious that the ELTA case was the drop that overflowed the glass for an anxious Parliamentary Group seeing the ruling party far from securing parliamentary majority in polling — and at the same time hearing escalating complaints from citizens. Many MPs also linked the ELTA case to OPEKEPE yesterday, saying that… as if all the anger they receive on subsidies was not enough, now they also had to account for the company management’s handling. Handling which the MPs also collectively disputed — wondering how it is possible that within one year a company showing profits is said to be… sinking and facing a serious viability issue.

“the cuckold learns last”

Needless to say, the quote of the evening came early from Thessaloniki B’ MP Theodoros Karaoglou, who observed that in the case of ELTA the saying “the cuckold always learns last” applies. “We MPs are the cuckolds,” he added — to highlight the lack of information MPs had, who learned of this literally at the last minute.

More than 40 “blue” MPs spoke in a stormy internal party process under the coordination of ND parliamentary rep Notis Mitarakis (Maximos Charakopoulos was absent) which reminded many of the turbulent days of debate on same-sex marriage. “Then of course there were two opinions — now all MPs agree,” an experienced ND MP noted wryly, estimating also that Mr Sklikas is essentially on borrowed time after last night.

Note: yesterday government spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis had supported Mr Sklikas — but the scene of last night’s teleconference had not happened yet, which de facto changes the equation. And now the Hyperfund enters the equation as well — the head Giannis Papachristou also heard harsh criticism yesterday from “blue MPs” — many of whom wondered what the company management had been doing all this time.

Interesting that extremely “Mitsotakis-aligned” officials directly turned against management — such as Deputy Migration Minister Sevi Voloudaki or former ND secretary Maria Syrengela. Also MPs Dionysis Aktypis, Dimitris Kyriazidis, Giannis Pappas, Fontas Baraliakos — while former deputy minister for Macedonia-Thrace Stathis Konstantinidis went so far as to say the Parliamentary Group must be convened on the issue.

“Take it back”

Among those who led the reactions, setting the tone, was ND MP for Piraeus B’ Dimitris Markopoulos. “Take it back,” Markopoulos said — a phrase which then became a trend — with many ND MPs demanding a change of course. At the same time many raised also the issue of the company management stepping down. Many MPs spoke with harsh words about the “technocratic” profile.

“Gentlemen — we have a presidential parliamentary democracy. Not a technocratic democracy,” said Nikos Panagiotopoulos. “I cannot hear about technocratic approaches and we take the political cost. You did not have the elementary sensitivity to inform us,” said Fotini Arampatzi. “I don’t know why this discussion is happening with an un-competent minister and two technocrats,” said Andreas Katsaniotis. “I understand that whoever wants to cover up his uselessness puts on the technocrat suit. They don’t have the decency to resign — they are useless,” stressed Miltos Chrysomallis.

Many MPs moreover wondered yesterday with what line ND will come today to the parliamentary discussion — since government MPs themselves showed they strongly disagree with the regulation. Only one supported it yesterday — ND parliamentary rep Dimitris Kairidis.