“Zoe Konstantopoulou is the natural political continuation of Golden Dawn,” Justice Minister Giorgios Florides commented on the attitude of the president of the Electoral Alliance for Freedom, especially in the Tempi trial, speaking on Direct of protothema.gr and Giorgos Evgenidis.

He added that he is systematically undermining two institutions, the Justice and the Parliament.

In the same context and referring to the development of the trial, Florides also criticized Maria Karystianou, noting that, with her decision to engage in political activity, she “put the role of a mother on the back burner”. As he said, these are attitudes linked to attempts to delay or politically exploit the trial.

The minister claimed that the Tempi trial is proceeding normally and with all guarantees, while he referred to “amazing work” by the Greek judiciary and pointed out that the case reaches the court in three years, when in other European countries similar trials are delayed for up to a decade.

At the same time, he spoke of repeated attempts to prevent the interrogation from being completed – through requests for exemptions and lawsuits – as well as “blackmail” with Panos Rouchi’s hunger strike, which, he said, did not work. He pointed out that 53 of the 57 parents did not want to join an exhumation of their victims.

He also noted that the majority of the victims’ relatives want the trial to begin, arguing that those seeking delays are few and have specific motives: either political exploitation or causing social tension.

Finally, referring to the Prime Minister’s suggestion on the incompatibility of MPs and ministers, he noted that the main issue is the separation of the legislative and executive powers, while stressing that it is the Parliament that will judge the cases, adding that he does not remember any other party having referred its ministers.