The former Prime Minister and Member of Parliament of PASOK-Movement for Change, George A. Papandreou, with his statement he criticizes the Greek government, for the application he submitted in order to review the case of the former president of the Hellenic Statistical Authority, Andreas Georgiou, before the European Court of Human Rights. Mr. Papandreou characterizes the application as “unacceptable and reprehensible” and speaks of “an attempt to exterminate” Mr. Georgiou.

In more detail, Mr. Papandreou points out in his statement: “The Greek government has decided to file a request for a review of the case by the full session of the ECtHR. In other words, it denies the decision of the European Court of Justice, which ruled that Andreas Georgiou did not have a fair trial, and insists on its own conspiracy theory, in order to continue the attempt to exterminate him.”

According to the former prime minister “It is not the victories in the elections that give credibility to leaders, parties and governments. Governments are judged by whether their choices, decisions and actions are bold, uphold the rule of law and serve the public interest. As long as they do not aim to serve petty partisan purposes, strengthen the power of the powerful, and use demagoguery and conspiracy to cover any responsibilities of their own.”

Mr. Papandreou claims that the case of Andreas Georgiou is one of the most characteristic cases that highlight the conservative and populist perception that the ND has historically possessed.

He adds that the request for reconsideration of the case “lacks new arguments and it is considered certain that the ECtHR is not going to change its decision”.

It speaks of undermining the rule of law and “comes to confirm that all the actions that have been taken by the Greek governments over the years, as well as the behavior of some judicial officials in this case that exposes the country internationally, have only one goal: the maintenance of a political and economic system which produces continuous crises, injustices and inequalities and holds hostage the healthy productive and creative forces of the place”.

“This is an unacceptable and reprehensible action”, stresses George Papandreou and hints: “We all know that unrepentant leaders and political forces, in the name of petty party pursuits, want to have the same choice in the future: to invent another scapegoat, for to bear their own responsibilities from the new derailment of the debt, from the deficit of the balance of payments and from the transfer of the wealth of the Greek people into the hands of a few powerful interests and establishments, with the aim of recapturing, appropriating and ruling power”.