A political uproar has been caused by a Nea Dimokratia lawmaker who claimed that the the junta, the colonels’ military dictatorship (1967-1974) was a revolution. Speaking to a private television channel, Dimitris Christogiannis said “at that time the junta was a revolution” and that “the junta was not the same thing as terrorism”. Christogiannis’ statement triggered angry reactions not only at main opposition part left-wing SYRIZA but also at Samaras’ coalition partner PASOK. Both parties demand that prime minister Antonis Samaras and conservative Nea Dimokratoa clear the issue.
Speaking to private Action24 TV about possible junta supporters within Samaras’ conservative Nea Dimocratia, Dimitris Christogiannis said:
“Possibly there were some,” Christogiannis said and asked the journalist ” Do you put on the same level junta supporters and terrorists? What was the junta at that time? It was a revolution. …. We should not make comparisons with terrorism…. At that time I was young and I don’t remember very well….. .”
An MP from SYRIZA was present at the same television panel.
It was SYRIZA first that issued a press release demanding that prime minister Antonis Samaras expels Christogiannis from Nea Dimokratia.
“Christogiannis admitted that there were and still are officials within Nea Dimokratia who like the junta and junta-supporters. And not only that. He went on to say that “the junta was a revolution”.
Really, do ND and Samaras agree with the ND-member that the catalysis of the Republic by the much-hated junta, the period of torture and murder, was revolution for the country? If they don’t [agree], they should condemn and expel the MP, otherwise Samaras’s ND believed the same.”
Also Samaras’ junior coalition government party PASOK issued a statement reading:
“Christogiannis statement that “the junta was a revolution” is unacceptable and horrifying. Nea Dimokratia must immediately condemn the pro-junta views of the MP and bring him back to order.”
A couple of hours later, Dimitris Christogiannis issued a statement claiming that SYRIZA had distorted what he had said.
Below the footage from Christogiannis’ statements – in Greek:
embedded by Embedded Video
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PS “words distorted”? Really? Nevertheless, MP Christogiannis got his 15 minutes of fame…
