The MEP of SYRIZA, Kostas Arvanitis, changed his position after the outcry over his statement that he himself wrote the controversial article that spoke of cutting funding to Greece in the European Parliament resolution.
In a statement following his morning remarks and the government’s reaction, Mr. Arvanitis now states that “my contribution concerns article 27, which stipulates that Greek citizens should not be deprived of European funds or other support as a result of the condemnation by the European Parliament of politicians for whom the government alone is responsible.”
It is recalled that earlier on Monday morning, he had stated, “They were shouting at the government that we are anti-Greek, and how is it possible for us to do this and vote for it. I inform them that we wrote it ourselves” on OPEN.
On his part, Pavlos Marinakis, a government spokesperson, stated that “Kostas Arvanitis cynically admitted his involvement, proudly admitted it. He said that he was not only one of the authors but also proudly declared that he was the instigator of an article that foresaw a funding cut for Greece. A Greek MEP, elected with the votes of Greek citizens, to defame his country and to create resolutions that would block funds for the country.”
However, Mr. Arvanitis later changed his initial position with a statement, saying, “The treasures of Mr. Marinakis, and another pitiful mudslinging campaign to cover up the very awkward blue Brussels reality.”
Here’s the timeline of the case:
On Monday morning, Mr. Arvanitis, speaking on OPEN in a debate with New Democracy MP Thanos Pleuris, clarified that he wrote the last article of the said resolution condemning our country, while he differentiated his position by saying that he personally participated in the process. “Not the MEPs, but the MEP, I wrote it,” he said.
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Mr. Arvanitis even clarified the content of the article he contributed to. “In Article 27, which I substantially contributed to, it says that the government must fully utilize the tools, Greece must comply with it, otherwise EU funds will be cut,” he said, adding, “It doesn’t say what you are saying, that SYRIZA and the European Parliament voted to cut funds.”
The reaction of New Democracy was intense, with spokesperson Nikos Romanos speaking of a ‘direct and unqualified admission’ that the resolution against Greece was not only orchestrated but also written by SYRIZA itself.
“It is now clear that SYRIZA, in the face of its oppositional rage against the government, disregards the significant damage caused to the country, even for the loss of crucial European funds that support social cohesion and the development of local communities. It is pathetic for the Official Opposition of the country. Absolutely fitting for SYRIZA,” he concluded.
