A post regarding his remarks at the Delphi Economic Forum, including his statement that “as long as Mrs. Kövesi allows us, we still have democracy” — a comment that drew wide attention — was published today on the Facebook account of Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis.

As Georgiadis noted this morning, a few hours after his statement, “I was first news everywhere, not about health care but for a humorous comment I made about Mrs. Kövesi.”

Referring to the presence of the head of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office in Greece, he added that “those who expected Mrs. Kövesi to come to Delphi to bring down the government and Mitsotakis have once again, as the saying goes, ended up disappointed. What she said was essentially in favor of the government and the prime minister.”

Adonis Georgiadis’ full post:

“Thoughts from this year’s Delphi Economic Forum:

Yesterday I had one of my busiest and most productive days at the Ministry of Health here in Delphi. I participated in a total of six panels of the Forum, alongside institutional representatives from the pharmaceutical sector, patient organizations, companies, fellow ministers, and journalists.

I was asked questions and exchanged views on all pharmaceutical provisions of the Ministry of Health’s bill, as well as broader issues concerning the better functioning of the NHS, clinical trials, and more. I must admit I was pleased, because almost everyone (as the videos show) spoke positively about my work at the Ministry of Health and acknowledged the significant progress achieved in a relatively short time. In addition, I held ten bilateral meetings, and in the evening, I was a guest of honor at three working dinners. As you can imagine, I returned to my room exhausted.

This morning I woke up, turned on the TV, and saw that I was everywhere in the news — not for health policy, but for a humorous comment I made about Mrs. Kövesi. I say ‘humorous’ because when I made it in a crowded room, everyone laughed, and also because, seriously speaking, the Greek Republic is not threatened by anyone; it is strong. What truly undermines it is hypocrisy.

However, since my comments about her speech have become such a topic of discussion, I will present my views calmly.

Those who expected Mrs. Kövesi to come to Delphi to bring down the government and Mitsotakis have once again, as the saying goes, been disappointed. What she said was essentially in favor of the government and the prime minister.

Specifically, she stated that:

A) She agrees with Mitsotakis on accelerating the examination of cases involving political figures, implicitly acknowledging the importance of such cases.

B) She thanked the prime minister and the government for their cooperation and for the resources already allocated and those pledged to the Prosecutor’s Office.

C) She stated that corruption in Greece is not different from other countries, but similar — contradicting claims by the opposition that Greece is uniquely corrupt.

D) Regarding OPEKEPE, the issue was presented in a way that, in substance, does not harm but rather confirms the government’s position.

It would have been strange if the prime minister had decided to abolish OPEKEPE and transfer its responsibilities to AADE if it were functioning well. Since it was not functioning properly, we decided to abolish it, despite opposition resistance in Parliament.

There were also points in her speech I did not agree with.

First, when asked about briefs submitted to Parliament, she suggested that MPs could be associated with corruption-related duties — an unacceptable implication, as no one has ever claimed such a thing. These briefs contain no such charges.

Second, her tone regarding the renewal process of the European Public Prosecutor’s mandate toward the Supreme Judicial Council was, in my view, dismissive and even inappropriate. European institutions must respect member state institutions. Judges of the Supreme Court are not schoolchildren to be reprimanded.

Across the Western world, no institution or office is permanent. Yet here, an interpretation appears to suggest exceptions. The rules provide for a fixed term, and the principle of non-renewal is clear.

I find it difficult to accept interpretations that effectively create self-renewing authorities without external evaluation. No one should hold such power in a Western democracy.

I believe this matter will ultimately be clarified by the courts, and I have full confidence in the judiciary.

In conclusion, her speech was interesting, and she is clearly talented. I wish her success in whatever she chooses to do after her term ends. However, her intervention was more political than strictly institutional, which is not what one would expect from a European prosecutor.

I, for my part, do not seek any form of self-renewal. I value democracy. Christ is risen.”