Akis Skertsos for George Mylonakis: His struggle is of existential character for the political system

The health adventure of Giorgos Mylonakis, and the reports that targeted him in the past, is addressed by the Minister of State Akis Skertsos in an extensive post on social media.

He says in this context that Mr. Mylonakis’ struggle “is existential for the political system itself,” and elaborates: “It will determine whether we allow political dialogue to fall from the struggle of ideas and principles into the morass of character assassination. Just like the one George repeatedly suffered.”

Mr. Skertsos notes that the New Democracy was not elected in 2019 and 2023 because it “called its political opponents murderers, criminals, thieves, traitors, arsonists or smugglers” and continues: “It did not treat its opponents as a whole as a quasi-criminal organisation, as almost the entire opposition does today in its criticism of the government.”

In this context, Skertos called for less toxicity in political debate and public discourse: “We can disagree without seeking the political or physical annihilation of our opponents. And that is why we need more dignity, quality and responsibility in our political discourse and debate,” he said.

At the end of the post Skertzos:

“The battle that George Mylonakis is fighting for his life and his family is of an existential nature, first and foremost for him. But it is not only about him. It concerns all of us. George’s struggle is existential for the political system itself. Because it will decide whether we allow political dialogue to fall from the struggle of ideas and principles into the mire of character assassination. Just like the one George has repeatedly suffered. That is, if we allow the rule that elects governments to prevail, instead of positive programmatic discourse, the anthropophagy that characterizes an increasing part of the political staff and (para)journalism.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ New Democracy was not elected in 2019 and 2023 because it called its political opponents murderers, criminals, thieves, traitors, arsonists or smugglers. It did not treat its opponents as a whole as a quasi-criminal organisation, as almost the entire opposition does today in its criticism of the government. Societies move forward when their political leaders have a vision, a realistic plan and the right people to implement it. Not when they become the tail of the extremes seeking only annulment and flattening without any workable alternative plan.

New Democracy was elected on the basis of a positive vision and a costed programme for our country. A program with which one can agree or disagree but certainly no one can claim that it had in its political front and at the core of its positions the toxicity of seeing the opponent as the enemy. We can disagree without seeking the political or physical annihilation of our opponents. And for that we need more dignity, quality and responsibility in our political discourse and opposition.