Controversial SYRIZA MP and former Deputy Health Minister Pavlos Polakis was expelled from the party’s parliamentary group on Thursday evening after a decision of Stefanos Kasselakis following an incident in parliament.
Polakis was expelled apparently for “bullying’ an aide to Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis during a parliamentary debate on the government’s psychiatric care bill.
Polakis who was speaking about kickbacks in the health sector, criticized the aide’s facial expressions, describing them as condescending.
The remarks sparked backlash from several MPs, including fellow SYRIZA member Athina Linou, who condemned the behavior as “unacceptable” and apologized from the aide in tears.
It was government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis who criticized Polakis for “losing all sense of decency” and urged Kasselakis to expel him.
The Parliament Speaker announced that there will be a “fine” to Polakis where he will receive half of his salary.
There have been calls from SYRIZA to Polakis to return his seat to the party, but he resists to such calls. He has not been expelled from the party.
Main opposition party SYRIZA is being now left with 35 MPs, followed by PASOK/KINAL with 31.
Over the years, there have been numerous calls, both from within and outside SYRIZA, for the party leadership to expel Polakis due to his very often controversial statements.
It is worth noting that when recently Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis shouted to Polakis during a debate in the Parliament “Go away! Shoo!” neither SYRIZA nor New Democracy pressed for his expulsion, neither the Parliament Speaker imposed any fine to also controversial Health Minister and ND MP.
even the wording of the original article ‘controversial’ , etc, is made to predispose the reader against him. pollakis is one of the only MPs in SYRIZA who has any backbone at all and that’s why the rest of those spineless scumbags can’t stomach him.