Government spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis criticized PASOK’s policy proposals while responding to the party’s accusations over the OPEKEPE case. During the government briefing, he linked the proposed 13th pension payment to an estimated cost of €2.5 billion and directly attributed political responsibility for the Katrougalos pension law to former Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras.

“What we call the Katrougalos law, allow me to call it the Tsipras law,” Marinakis said, arguing that a former prime minister cannot distance himself from ministers and decisions made by his own government while “continuing to present himself as a reformer.”

Marinakis maintained that the government is gradually dismantling legislation introduced during the SYRIZA administration, citing reforms to the social security contribution system for self-employed workers, the reduction of the personal difference in pensions and its planned complete abolition by 2027, as well as changes to survivors’ pensions.

On the issue of the 13th pension, he dismissed PASOK’s proposal as “Androulakis math.” According to Marinakis, one additional monthly pension payment would cost €2.5 billion, and he challenged PASOK to submit a formal bill so that the proposal could be officially costed by the General Accounting Office of the State.

Regarding OPEKEPE, the government spokesperson referred to previous statements by PASOK’s leader and spokesperson describing the government as “a government of defendants.” Following the dismissal of nine out of thirteen related cases, he called on PASOK to apologize to the MPs who had been cleared, while stressing that the presumption of innocence also applies to the four who will stand trial.

“Justice—and only Justice—decides. Full stop,” Marinakis concluded.