With express procedures, New Democracy lawmaker Konstantinos Bogdanos was expelled from the parliamentary group of the ruling party on Tuesday evening after a anti-communist rant in the Parliament where he claimed among others that communists were a bigger threat to Greece than Turkey.
“On behalf of the government I want to emphasize that we are not here to return to the bad past of the country but to discuss the survival of the homeland and its future. I do not know who attended the event in Vitsi. My father was in Vitsi. I say today that any attempt to project in the modern life of the painful moments of the country for the benefit of partisanship is unacceptable. And the alliance with Kasidiaris [ Golden Dawn Nr 2, now in jail] is unacceptable. And over time, laying a wreath together withGolden Dawn is unacceptable. It is time to get serious at a time when the country is facing a national threat. And as long as I represent the government as a minister, such an effort will not be tolerated in this Chamber again, so that we can all come to an agreement. We are not evaluate the past here. “
Earlier, Bogdanos had stated, among others, that “anti-communism is a liberal choice that is our right. No one can force us to say with joy the Republic of North Macedonia. Why? Because it is our right to talk about the state of Skopje …”
Left-wing SYRIZA MP Sia Anagnostopoulou called on the participants “and the minister to condemn the post-war rhetoric against the KKE,” and referred to the controversial MP as “an extreme right-winger.”
“He seems to be upset that his fellow fascists were caught, and he found the place to throw anti-communist poison. We know each other, the place is full of the blood of communists “, commented the parliamentary representative of the KKE MP Thanasis Pafilis said “He seems to be upset that his fellow fascists were caught, and he found the place to throw anti-communist poison. We know each other, the place is full of the blood of communists.” He added that Bogdanos is the same as Golden DawnD.”
SYRIZA MP Thodoris Dritsas also intervened in the controversy, noting that “Bogdanos had attended a hate rally in Vitsi, along with royalists and representatives of Golden Dawn. Anyone can be for or against communism.”
“Such behavior cannot be tolerated”
Government sources told state-run news agency amna, after the MP’s expulsion from the party that they have warned that such behavior will not be tolerated in the future.
“For the Prime Minister, the issues of principle are non-negotiable. When we showed [to Bogdanos] yellow card last time we meant it. Unacceptable views, which are outside the value and ideological system of the ND and refer to times of division have no place in the modern European center-right. We are looking forward, others are the ones looking backwards “, the government sources said.
ND maintains majority
It is not known whether New Democracy will ask that the expelled MP returns his seat to the party and if Yes, whether he will indeed do it or rather keep it as Independent.
Nevertheless, New Democracy maintains its majority of -now – 157 seats in a Parliament of 300.
It is the first time in two years of governance that PM Mitsotakis expels an MP from the party.
PS What is striking in the whole issue is that the MP was apparently expelled following a demand by FM Nikos Dendias who slowly but gradually emerges as a leader with democratic approach within New Democracy.
We have said in the recent past that part of ND is not happy with the presence of government ministers and lawmakers with far-right background and it tries to regain its modern center-right profile.
No one wants historic leftist extremes any more than an extreme right.
However. it might be interesting to not that SYRIZA, KKE, and Mera25 voted against the the Greek-French defense treaty on Tuesday night. It was passed with the votes of the members of New Democracy (ND), KINAL, and the Hellenic Solution.
I can’t imagine voting against one’s best interest out of fear, finances, or grandstanding. This is the last shoe to drop for SYRIZA’s dog and pony show I suspect.
Those parties you reference, for all their strengths and weaknesses, represent a not insignificant portion of the people of Greece that think such acquisitions are highly inappropriate when even basic public services do not meet the threshold of acceptability. If that is extremist, we can safely dispense with definitions as they no longer represent anything meaningful for common dialogue.
Why do you support the defense treaty as being “highly inappropriate”?
Who are you to dictate what we may “dispense” of or to “dismiss” your what you view as “common dialogue” with such arrogance to claim “we”?
First of all, from the most basic perspective, to prioritize public services over national security is extremist, it defies self preservation; to entertainingly address your argument for all to see.
Just because the parties opposing the defense treaty have a position in opposition does not mean that their supporters approve of every policy decision either. For argument sake, they may be fully aware of their opposition will be defeated and playing politics or they too would have voted for it for all we know.
Grandstanding to put their interests above the people’s, to violate tradition with fear, or risk sovereignty and lives with some Germanic logic and tight fisted frugality that you bring to light is not the Greek way, and hardly supported by the vast majority of Greeks.
Thankfully, the defense pact will be ratified by the Greek government tomorrow, Thursday, October 7th, 2021, who hold a majority, and represent Greece admirably. I would suggest that it is evident that the Turks also feel that the defense treaty is “highly inappropriate”.
My friend, in your enthusiastic reply, you appear to have completely lost the plot. My remarks were aimed very narrowly at your previously implied comment that opposing the defense pact with France is some kind of extremist left position, so can we please allow the snips and quips about my arrogance and dictating tone to fade away.
Let’s unpack this first statement now: “to prioritize public services over national security is extremist, it defies self preservation.”
Are we pretending that everything hinged on this defense pact? That Greece is defenseless without France? That Greece does not have an incredibly well funded and highly respected military? Please. If you want to talk extremism, this is an extreme straw person position to attribute to those who oppose the defense pact (and the absurd spending on fighter jets and vessels). There are no more bloated ministries than the ones concerned with defense, procurements, and policing. The money is literally *never enough* for them and corrupt politicians on the take are more than happy to indulge their thirst for more. This is true everywhere, but seems especially prevalent in Greece. Its extremely odd to me that so much public money is allocated towards the newest and shiniest technology for the armed forces, yet conscripted members consistently complain about weapons that don’t fire, an acute lack of ammunition. Here we have priorities on display and the public has a clear interest in having a strong opinion.
Regarding national security and threats:
** “Never mind the worst fire season in 40 years that a chronically underfunded ministry of forests was of course unable to confront properly; never mind the crisis provoked by predatory lending on the part of German and French banks; never mind the exodus of well educated young people to other union countries or North America; no, of course the obvious threat that will destroy this great country is the Turkish aggression!” Interestingly, you can swap out Turkish aggression for Greek aggression and instantly find the Turkish position about national security. When will this arms race mentality, this nationalistic fever dream finally end…
Its interesting that you point out the supporters of these parties are a baggy suit of contradictions that may or may not support them on this issue. That is of course true, but its interesting you don’t also extend this (obvious) spectrum of positions and opinions of voters to the parties that support this pact (ND, Kinal, etc.). Their support for party must be unanimous while the “other” is fractured, clearly.
This is hardly some kind of “Germanic logic and tight fisted frugality” on my part. These ministries involved with national security spend ceaselessly and with reckless abandon, while other ministries are heavily cut back and even removed entirely, with their duties redistributed among others for cost savings. The Greek people deserve better than this, in terms of services received for taxes invested, and in terms of the mentality displayed by their rulers. They do not simply exist to feed the financial ambitions and paranoid delusions of τριάντα τζάκια.
If there is grandstanding taking place here, it is regarding the celebration of this pact. France was never prevented from supporting Greece with considerable weight during tensions or crisis alike, as was clearly demonstrated last year.
Hopefully that provides satisfactory answers to implicit and explicit questions alike.
** – so there are no misunderstandings: this passage in quotations is a caricature.
“a not insignificant portion”? “threshold of acceptability”? “safely dispense with”? “meaningful for common dialogue”?
Markos, you articulate hillariously. ROFLOL