Greek PM’s push for a fresh start ends up in fiasco

A Greek government reshuffle aiming to mark a fresh start following public anger due to wildfires in August has ended in what most media described as a fiasco.

Evangelos Apostolakis, a former admiral and defence minister under leftist Syriza government, was the bone of contention.

According to media reports, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis asked Apostolakis to take over the newly established ministry of civil protection, which would better address in the future natural disasters such as wildfires.

At the political level, Mitsotakis aimed to show unity and consensus on a sensitive matter such as natural disasters by picking a candidate from the opposition.

However, a couple of hours after he announced the new government cabinet, Apostolakis turned down Mitsotakis’s invitation and the new ministry will not take effect.

Apostolakis said he was “tricked” by Mitsotakis as the latter allegedly told him that Syriza had consented to his new post. The main opposition party denied any consensus.

On the other hand, the government reacted saying Syriza had indeed given its green light and then accused Apostolakis of being “coward” as he bowed to the opposition’s political pressure.

It is not clear what exactly happened in the background. However, even pro-government media described Mitsotakis’s government reshuffle as a fiasco, dealing another severe blow to the conservative government.

Anti-government media also criticised the option of incoming Health Minister Thanasis Plevris. The latter comes from a far-right party and he is known for his anti-migration rhetoric.

Last but not least, several videos were circulating yesterday on social media showing Plevris questioning vaccines. (Sarantis Michalopoulos | EURACTIV.com).