“The first day of the hunger strike (by P. Routsi) was Sunday. The next day, in a briefing for political editors, I said the self-evident as a father and as a man: That I stand by this man’s side. Of course, at the same time, we could not – and luckily for me we cannot – interfere with justice and indicate what the decision should be. I think that we shouldn’t even commentately take a position when we have some positions. I believe that these positions are very temporary and ephemeral, I do not believe that we are forever. And those who think it is forever are making very big mistakes in politics. We will be as long as the citizens want” repeated the government representative Pavlos Marinakis in his interview on the MEGA show “Smile Again”. “Mr. Dendias is an institutional politician, a politician who does not populize and he clearly said that he believes that justice will give its answers” he added.

Regarding the amendment that will come, as he said, on Tuesday to the Parliament for the monument to the Unknown Soldier and which will probably be supported by the prime minister himself, he noted that “This amendment is not vindictive, it is not divisive and I think that it should not be necessary. That is, an unwritten law should protect the monument of the Unknown Soldier. Why? What does this sacred monument symbolize? It symbolizes the struggle of all those who gave their lives, they are not New Democrats, they are not in PASOK, they are not in SYRIZA, they are people who sacrificed many years ago so that we can be free today. I think the biggest mistake we can all make, whether we’re in the government or in the opposition or journalists or whatever, is to weigh two sacred concepts.”

“It is the most sacred thing that exists, the sacrifice for the country and of course the right of a father, a mother, a relative, a friend, to mourn his child, his friend, his human being is sacred. So, it is wrong to say “either one or the other”. The citizens who see us do not want to be divided into north-south, Olympian-Panathenian or white-black. Society is not there and we should not contribute to this process either. What will the amendment say? That in this monument, as it happens in many, in all civilized states, in France, in Italy, in the USA, in this monument and in a certain area around the monument, no protest, demonstration, banner, graffiti, anything will be allowed. The protection of this monument, i.e. the enforcement of order, will be by the Greek police. Not from the military. The army will not descend on the Constitution and the promotion and maintenance of the monument will be the responsibility of the Ministry of National Defense. These will all be set out in detail by the amendment” explained the government representative.

“Once this amendment is passed for the square meters that will be defined by the amendment, which will result from everything that applies to the specific monument, at the specific point that will be regulated by the amendment, nothing will be allowed, no protest, no graffiti, no banner, no demonstration, whether it is from a left-wing organization or a center-right organization,” he added.

In addition, Mr. Marinakis noted “the prime minister bowed with respect to children who were killed in a tragic accident. It doesn’t mean he “ignored” the monument to the Unknown Soldier. This association is wrong. It is a mistake to enter into the process of division. So I insist and say that the monument to the Unknown Soldier is beyond any protest. And this amendment is necessary. All parties, all political forces will be counted. It does not mean that whoever votes to respect the heroes of the nation, which we are late, I will say as a state, let’s do the obvious, that it is against a father who is experiencing absolute pain. On the contrary, you can support both the self-evident and the other.”

Regarding the statements of the former Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis, Mr. Marinakis, after saying that the official position of Europe, regarding the rule of law says that in Greece the situation has improved in recent years, he underlined: “so, the narrative that Greece is a rule of law that is collapsing, is not true. Greece has succeeded and has made leaps and bounds in matters of press freedom and the rule of law. Personally, as the deputy minister responsible for the press, we have legislated with the Ministry of Justice to abolish simple defamation, a nickname for threats against journalists. We have the most effective task force for journalists.”

“I consider that the statement by Karamanlis, the former prime minister, is a statement that all of us should listen to, especially those – who? – who some years ago wanted to put polar rivals in prison, and I am referring to the Novartis company, which collapsed. In this country, let’s remember that the Minister of Justice of the previous government, Mr. Kontonis, himself, that is, the minister of Mr. Tsipras, had said that para-ministries of Justice were operating. We will remember that in this country some people locked some people in rooms to manipulate channels and two ministers were irrevocably condemned by the Judiciary, 13-0. In this country, the parliament was left open in 2019 to pass a criminal code with all that was in it and with all the releases that were made,” he said.

“Karamanli’s statements are not addressed to one person. This interpretation is wrong, I think. I am not his interpreter, especially a former prime minister. And who else should listen to what Mr. Karamanlis said, much more? Those who question justice – I remind you that Mr. Androulakis had said that “I have no confidence in justice” – and those who attack justice,” he added.

When asked about the book by Alexis Tsipras, the government representative said: “Let him write as many books as he wants – his right, of course – and as many parties as he wants, history will not be rewritten.”

Finally, to a question about whether there is room for Mr. Tsipras, Mr. Marinakis said: “The citizens will decide that. We have a democracy. He may find, he may not. Society will evaluate him. But right now, I think we should talk in terms of politics. What does politics mean? What does what I say and every politician do to the lives of citizens? I don’t think the citizens need uninvited saviors from any place, who want to come back only as persons. We do not choose an opponent. We did not win Mr. Tsipras in 2019 and 2023. We won the trust of the citizens. It is wrong to choose an opponent, it is arrogant to choose an opponent. We won’t do that.”