The government spokesman, Mr. Economou, launched a fierce attack against the official opposition. Specifically, he stated that SYRIZA only wants division. Mr. Tsipras has been informed since the morning about the appointment of Mr. Apostolakis as Minister. The Prime Minister created the Ministry Civil Protection, in order to have a consensual, cross-party effort and he expressed it in the person of Mr. Apostolakis. He characterized Mr. Apostolakis as a coward, who backed down because of the "threats" of SYRIZA. Also, Mrs. Fofi Gennimata, leader of KINAL, was informed about the position of Mr. Apostolakis.
In detail, Mr. Economou stated:
"The Prime Minister, exercising his will for consensus in the critical area of Civil Protection, decided to establish a ministry with exactly this object. And he chose for his position a person with operational experience, but also cross-party acceptance: The Minister of Defense of the previous government and former Chief of General Staff Mr. Evangelos Apostolakis.
The facts are as follows:
In recent days, exploratory discussions have preceded, during which the nature of the new portfolio was agreed upon. Just yesterday, after all, in a telephone conversation with the Prime Minister, Mr. Apostolakis finally accepted his position. That is why, this morning, the Secretary General of the Prime Minister, Mr. Grigoris Dimitriadis, contacted the Director of the Office of Mr. Tsipras. While a similar information was given to Mrs. Gennimata.
Following the announcement of the new government, the Presidency of the Hellenic Republic contacted Mr. Apostolakis on the practical issues of the swearing-in. And he received the answer that the new minister will be present, probably accompanied by his wife.
This was followed, however, by a defeated SYRIZA announcement in which he characterized Mr. Apostolakis as a "rebel", talking about his "acquisition". Immediately after the attack, Mr. Apostolakis contacted the Prime Minister, stating that he did not want to take the post of Minister.
It is truly unfortunate that the official opposition so vulgarly targeted a person who could symbolize national reconciliation. He thus torpedoed a great initiative of consensus in a field of politics without party color, since his first concern is the protection of the supreme value, of human life. SYRIZA only expresses division. And he proved it beyond any doubt again today.
But Mr. Apostolakis also proved to be inferior to the circumstances. He was scared in the face of SYRIZA's threats. He joined his party and withdrew to the call to serve his homeland. Too bad for his backwardness.
Following these, the responsibilities of the Civil Protection remain with the Ministry of Civil Protection. Until the appointment of a new political leader, the minister retains all relevant responsibilities. The current Secretary General of Civil Protection has the operational coordination. "
photo pch.vector, Image license by freepik.com
