Resignations, reactions and… the political scene in “Red” after its announcement Annas Michel Asimakopoulou to retire – until the landscape becomes clear – from the battle of the European elections. The email sent to expatriate Hellenistic voters resulted in rapid developments both for the New Democracy MEP, as well as for the Secretary General of the Ministry of the Interior, Michalis Stavrianoudakis, as well as the New Democracy Secretary for Expatriates, Nikos Theodoropoulos, who both resign from their positions.

In her statement, Anna Michelle Asimakopoulou announced that she is withdrawing from her candidacy for the European electionswhile there was a previous statement by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, in an interview with SKAIwith which he had admitted that there is an issue and that it is also being investigated by the government.

“Deposit today at the APDPH, as requested, information related to the known issue of sending newsletters from my office. In my political career I have always been a “soldier” of the great faction of the ND and I served it from whatever position was asked of me. As an MEP, for 5 years I fought many battles for Greece and the Greeks. For this entire course I am obviously being evaluated and judged.

Loyal to my principles, values ​​and love for Greece, I have informed the Prime Minister of my decision not to participate as an MEP candidate in the upcoming June European elections if this issue is not fully clarified.

That’s because my conscience does not allow me to unwittingly participate in the efforts of some to harm the institution of postal votingthe Mitsotakis Government or the prestige of Greece.

The reason now lies exclusively with the competent authorities who are investigating the case and I am sure that they will quickly end up revealing the truth and the real dimensions of the specific issue. I repeat once again that I will cooperate with them in whatever is asked of me”, said Anna Michelle Asimakopoulou in her statement.

Resignation of Stavrianoudakis and Theodoropoulos

A little while after announcement by Anna Michelle Asimakopoulouit became known that both the secretary general of the Ministry of the Interior, Michalis Stavrianoudakis, and the secretary of New Democracy, Nikos Theodoropoulos, are resigning.

According to information that emerged from the investigation, the list was made available to Mrs. Asimakopoulou by an associate of the general secretary of the Ministry of the Interior, Michalis Stavrianoudakis, through Nikos Theodoropoulos.

The leak in question does not appear to be temporally related to the postal vote registration platformbecause Stavrianoudakis had this authority until June 2023.

Under these conditions, as the government said, the prime minister wanted to close the matter without any discount and for this, Asimakopoulou facilitated and put her out of the running for the European elections, while Stavrianoudakis resigned as secretary general, taking political responsibility for the leak of personal data.

The same is expected to happen with Nikos Theodoropoulos, who is currently the Secretary of Expatriates of the ND.

SYRIZA: The government must give explanations

After her resignation Anna Michelle AsimakopoulouSYRIZA issued a statement, demanding an explanation from the government. More detail:

“Two weeks have passed since the deportees’ complaints that they received pre-election material from the ND MEP, Anna Michelle Asimakopoulou, in their e-mail addresses, without their consent. They were the same addresses that the emigrants had given to the Ministry of the Interior for the compilation of the electoral lists of the postal vote. Today we learn that Mrs. Asimakopoulou “decided” – she was pushed – not to be a candidate in the European elections, “until the case is fully clarified”.

However, two weeks later there is extreme silence and the revelation of the truth is still a question. Not one and two, but four different investigations were launched after the complaints about the leakage of the personal data of the emigrants to the ND MEP: by the Athens Prosecutor’s Office, by the Personal Data Protection Authority, by the government, according to statements by Kyr himself Mitsotakis and from the Ministry of the Interior, which conducts an internal audit. What has Maximus discovered, but is not telling? What does Mrs. Kerameos, who was silent for four whole days after the revelation of the scandal, have to present?

The government must, at least for once, provide answers and finally bear the political cost. How did it leak and by whom? Why was the emigrants’ personal data not protected? Have there been other leaks and to where?

In a moment the government managed to cast shadows on the invariability of the electoral process with a postal vote and to reaffirm that what he says about transparency and democracy are just communicative “words of the air”.

SYRIZA – Progressive Alliance immediately calls for a full investigation into the extremely serious political scandal, which arose under the responsibility of the government shortly before the European elections. Finally stop playing with the institutions and democracy!”.

Kasselakis: The questions to Mitsotakis are still valid

On the same wavelength and the president of SYRIZA, Stefanos Kasselakis, who commented:

Another “sit aside for a while until it is forgotten and you come back” by Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

After the uproar over the violation of the personal data of thousands of emigrants, Mrs. Asimakopoulou withdraws – belatedly – from the ND’s European ballot.

The questions for Mr. Mitsotakis are still valid:

-How did the MEP gain access to the personal data of thousands of citizens? – Did he cooperate with the Ministry of Interior or HOW else?

I call on the prime minister to stop hiding. No matter how many atoning victims he sacrifices, this reality will also haunt him.”

PASOK: ND has turned the Ministry of the Interior into its electoral center under the responsibility of Maximos

“Today, what we denounced from the beginning was confirmed: New Democracy has turned the Ministry of the Interior, responsible for the political leadership and the Maximos Palace, into its electoral center” PASOK-Movement for Change points out in a statement.

“Personal data of tens of thousands of emigrants reached its MEP through the General Secretary of the ministry and the Head of Emigration Department of New Democracy. The withdrawal of Mrs. Asimakopoulou from the European ballot paper concerns only her and cannot be considered as a release from her weighty responsibilities.”

“It is necessary to ensure the credibility of the electoral process and the integrity of the electoral data. According to the law, the responsible minister, Mr. Kerameos, and the Ministry of the Interior are responsible for processing this data,” says Harilaou Trikoupi in an indirect reference to the postal vote.

“The minister must be held accountable for the data leak and take responsibility. A responsibility that falls on her personally as the head of the Ministry of the Interior and is not transferred to general secretaries and other officials” PASOK-Change Movement concludes.