We asked Adonis Georgiadis<\/b> a lot of questions and he answered them all. As he always does, saying what he believes and defending his views, democracy and the work of government. <\/p>\n
The Minister of Health believes that Mr. Androulakis’s insistence<\/b> on the issue of surveillance does not benefit PASOK<\/b> and does not excite society, indeed he regrets that “a party with the history of PASOK has come to speak as if it were 2015 Tsipras, or Polakis, or Kasselakis, or Konstantopoulou”.<\/b> He finds “absolutely unacceptable” the fact that the OPECKEPE<\/b> files “come in bits and pieces”, but, he says, “in the end we are all judged”. He expresses optimism that in the upcoming national elections, New Democracy will “get self-reliance and on the first Sunday” and we end our conversation with his impression that, while all over the planet “the ideology of communism has disappeared”<\/b>, Greek communists are waiting for him outside the hospitals he visits with batons, shouting about issues that “have nothing to do with health, but about NATO, America and Israel”, which he doesn’t mind, because they “give a colour” to his visits. <\/p>\n
In light of the recent incident with the 89-year-old man at the EFKA and the Court of First Instance and Michael Chrysochoidis’ statement that he is a mentally ill man, should we be concerned? What do you mean? <\/b><\/p>\n
There are always some people in our society who are not mentally healthy in the way we would all like them to be. That doesn’t judge an entire society. It’s an isolated incident, very sad. Thankfully there was no serious injury. It’s more a safety issue for these facilities, who unfortunately need to review their protocols. Do the procedures for discharge from psychiatric facilities need to be revised? No, I do not think that there is any question of revising the procedures for discharge from psychiatric facilities because of this incident. I think this was really an individual incident. <\/b><\/p>\n
PASOK proposes an Inquiry into the wiretapping case. It is supported by the other parties. You say no. Why? <\/b><\/p>\n<\/p>\n
I honestly believe that the issue of the wiretaps neither benefits PASOK politically nor in any way excites Greek society. People are tired of listening to Mr. Androulakis from morning till night talking about this issue. Besides, there was an inquiry into the wiretapping in the past in the Parliament. They have all been discussed. There have been court decisions, there have been prosecutor’s acts of filing. Okay, at some point the country has to move on.<\/p>\n
How do you respond to PASOK’s characterization of Predator as a “political shitbag”?<\/b><\/p>\n
I am very sad that a party with the history of PASOK has come to talk as if it were Tsipras of 2015, or Polakis, or Kasselakis, or Konstantopoulou. That is the phrase “political asshole”, from Mr Androulakis to me, really saddens me<\/b>. Because with the people of PASOK, who now accuse me of being a “political asshole”, I was in the same position to keep Greece in Europe. I like them and they are my friends. I will not express myself for them in the same way, excuse me. I am really sorry.<\/p>\n
Do you agree or disagree with the MP-minister incompatibility? <\/b><\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Finally, should extra-parliamentary ministers be appointed? Many MPs disagree. They even send letters… I want to be completely honest. In a parliamentary system I personally think that MP-minister incompatibility is of no use. Our society has found two kinds of systems. Presidential systems, in which the government does not depend on a majority in Parliament and there is of course an absolute separation of executive and legislative power, and parliamentary systems in which MPs are, as a rule, also ministers. Because the osmosis between parliament, i.e. the legislative body, and the executive is very strong.<\/b> This is the basic difference between the presidential and the parliamentary system. We in Greece have a presidential parliamentary democracy. So, MP-minister incompatibility makes absolutely no sense, nor can it offer anything at all. If it is done in the way the Prime Minister proposed in the public debate, i.e. the French model, it will simply add more MPs and increase competition in the regions, so it will also increase the need for political services, not reduce it. If we go to an absolute incompatibility, we will end up with a ruling parliament that changes prime ministers every three terms. <\/b><\/p>\n
How do you comment on the interventions of Akis Skertsos? <\/b><\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Aki Skertosos with whom I have no personal relationship, other than an official one,is a really very useful man in his role.<\/b> He has contributed to the government, he has contributed to the state, he is not provocative, he is kind, and the times I have personally needed him, he has helped me. Periodically he expresses his views via Facebook and some people accuse him of perhaps doing more than what is appropriate and commensurate with his role. Akis Skertsos has a role, may I say, a little behind the spotlight, not in front of it. That sometimes bothers some people. I’m not going to judge whether they’re right or wrong. What I can say with certainty is that we are all a team and we are moving forward to get the country properly governed. For God’s sake, no one has anything to divide with anyone. <\/p>\n
Are you nervous about any new OPEKEPE filings since they are coming in piecemeal? <\/b><\/p>\n<\/p>\n
I find it absolutely unacceptable that they are coming in piecemeal, but in the end we are all judged. If and when new briefs come in, I will judge them, as I did the first time, after reading them. I don’t like to judge something without reading it. I like to know what it’s about. The first briefs were funny. If second ones come along and they’re like the first ones again, I’ll tell you the same thing. <\/p>\n
Do you stand by the description of Nikos Androulakis as “unworthy” to be leader of the opposition? So you prefer Alexis Tsipras as your main political opponent? <\/b><\/p>\n<\/p>\n
I did not say the characterization “unworthy” outright. I said it in relation to his statement that he will challenge the archiving act of the Supreme Court prosecutor on the wiretapping with all legal means. And I said it for the following reason: because I find it unthinkable to be the leader of the opposition and not know that the archiving act of the Supreme Court prosecutor is legally immune.<\/b> That is, there is no legal remedy to challenge it because it does not have the character of a court decision. It is a final prosecutorial decision and there is no higher prosecutorial rank than the prosecutor of the Supreme Court, it is the highest prosecutorial rank in Greece. So, you have a prosecutorial decision at the highest prosecutorial rank. There is no way to legally challenge the filing act of the prosecutor of the Supreme Court. Not this one, any one. If Mr. Androulakis doesn’t know that, excuse me, he is unworthy of his position. <\/b>And imagine that the act came out in the morning, the press conference was held in the afternoon, and not a single person, from morning to afternoon, was found to explain to him that it was legally immune. That’s why I called him “unworthy”. When you want to govern a country, you have to know very well what you are talking about. Because what you say will affect other people’s lives. <\/p>\n
With your poll numbers self-reliance cannot be achieved. Is there any way you can recover? <\/b><\/p>\n
I don’t have the same assessment as you. The New Republic with these poll numbers can easily achieve self-reliance. Polls are one thing and the ballot box is another.<\/b> I am very optimistic and, to tell you the truth, I believe that we will eventually get self-reliance and on the first Sunday.<\/b> <\/p>\n
Why, as you stated, “do you get upset when you go to visit a hospital and are not confronted by communists”<\/b>? <\/p>\n
Communism as an ideology in general across the planet has pretty much disappeared. It’s left in North Korea and Cuba, soon it won’t be there either. All over the world, saying you’re a communist is considered almost a joke. In Greece we still have a strong communist party. That in itself makes a certain impression on me. We are an exception in a world political reality without communists<\/b>. And we have one too, it’s nice. I don’t blame people. When I visit hospitals, they show up with some sticks and shout. Usually what they say has nothing to do with health care, it’s about other issues, NATO, America and Israel, but that’s okay. They add a colour to my visits without being violent, I honour that. Violence is only on the far left, not the KKE.<\/b><\/p>\n
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