Greek Prime Minister Says He Will Not Resign Over Wiretapping Scandal

ATHENS (Sputnik) - Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Monday that he does not intend to resign over the scandal related to the wiretapping of Nikos Androulakis, the leader of the Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK), but intends to propose a number of changes to the Greek National Intelligence Service (EYP).

The prime minister's address on the scandal was broadcast by Greek public television ERT.

According to Mitsotakis, he will continue to serve in office, so that everyone can build "even stronger and more sustainable democratic institutions" together.

Mitsotakis outlined four directions for changes in the EYP's work that the Greek government will propose, which include strengthening of the EYP's accountability and its parliamentary oversight through the Special Permanent Committee on Institutions and Transparency; increasing the role of the Government Council for Foreign Affairs and Defence (KYSEA) for better use of information and the EYP; protecting political actors in the context of legitimate wiretapping; and the changing the EYP's structure to strengthen internal control, transparency, and staff training.

The wiretapping of Androulakis was carried out according to the procedures provided for by law, but it was politically unacceptable and should not have happened, Mitsotakis said, explaining that in September 2021, the EYP established a "lawful connection" to the politician's phone, while he was still a parliament member.

A political scandal erupted in Greece regarding the wiretapping by Predator spyware of the mobile phone of Androulakis, and the surveillance of journalist Thanasis Koukakis. The rime minister’s general secretary, Grigoris Dimitriadis, and head of the EYP, Panagiotis Kontoleon, were dismissed amid the scandal. Greek media called the case "Kyriakos-gate" and "Greek Watergate" by analogy to the well-known political scandal in the United States of 1972-1974, which ended with the resignation of President Richard Nixon.

The largest Greek opposition party, the Coalition of the Radical Left, said that Mitsotakis should step down after unprecedented institutional irregularities.