The government amendment for his protection Monument to the Unknown Soldier defended the government spokesman Pavlos Marinakisspeaking to Mega and emphasized that this is a self-evident regulation that enshrines respect in a “sacred space” dedicated to the heroes of the Nation. As he said the state should not even need to enact such an amendment, however because some do not respect the monument, the government must protect it institutionally.

Why did the amendment come now?

Mr. Marinakis rejected accusations that the government “opened an unnecessary front” in the midst of social tension over Tempi. He explained that the regulation is not directed against the relatives of the victims nor is it related to Panos Routsi, who went on a hunger strike in Syntagma Square. “We are late as a state,” he said, comparing the issue to the government’s intervention in universities to deal with squatting. As the law was imposed on universities, respect for national symbols must now be imposed, he added.

At the same time, he accused the opposition of trying to create “false dilemmas” and divide society, projecting the issue as a confrontation between respect for the heroes of the Nation and respect for the victims of Tempe. “The vast majority of citizens want both,” he emphasized.

What does the amendment provide?

According to the government spokesman, the amendment prohibits demonstrations, gatherings, protests or any act of desecration in the area directly in front of the Monument to the Unknown Soldier. He emphasized that there are many other places around the Parliament where peaceful protests can be held. He reiterated that the Memorial “is a sacred space and must be kept free from all kinds of events”.

Asked what would happen if a parent of a Tempe victim rebuilt a tent or wrote their child’s name on the site, he said that once something is passed and becomes state law, authorities are obligated to enforce it. The police, he said, have the experience and expertise to do this in a staggered fashion.

Relationship with the parents of the Tempe victims

Mr. Marinakis emphasized after repeated questions that he received that the government does not seek conflict with the relatives of the victims and “no one wants to arrest a man who has lost his child”. However, breaking laws cannot be tolerated. He claimed that the state stands by the families and that the tragic accident in Tempe “was the result of human errors and state pathologies.”

He reacted to a journalist’s statement that the children were “murdered by state analgesia”, saying that the term “murder” is heavy and should not be used. He gave the example of Mati and the wreck of the “Samina”, saying that even there no one spoke of “murders”, although there were serious mistakes by the state.

He emphasized that for Tempi there is already a trial in progress with 36 defendants, among them two former ministers, while in other national tragedies, such as in Mati or Mandra, “not a single minister was tried”.

The role of the municipality of Athens

To the question why the cleaning of the monument is entrusted to a private company and not to the municipality of Athens, he answered that the mayor Haris Doukas showed reluctance to fulfill his obligations and “chose to caress the ears of a leftist audience”. As he said, the “care” of the monument, according to the legal terminology of the amendment, concerns the maintenance of the cleanliness and decency of the area. The goal is for the Memorial to remain clean and dedicated only to the memory of the fallen.

For farmers and compensation

Asked about the farmers’ mobilizations, Mr. Marinakis said that the Ministry of Rural Development has set a timetable for the payments to be completed as soon as possible, within the next few weeks. He assured that the farmers “will get the money they are entitled to” and that the delays are due to the intersections to detect delinquent cases, not a liquidity problem.

He also referred to the OLAF (European Anti-Fraud Office) investigation, clarifying that it is “not related to the new payments”. He explained that the government is trying to satisfy two goals: paying consistent farmers on time and prosecuting those who are illegal.

For the confrontation with SYRIZA and the economy

Finally, the government representative commented on the criticism of the opposition that the 40 billion euros allocated by the Mitsotakis government for the pandemic “was money left by SYRIZA”. He said that such statements falsify the facts and serve political expediency. He recalled that in 2015, Greece’s stay in Europe was decided thanks to the votes of ND and PASOK MPs and not SYRIZA, adding that thanks to European stability, there were budgetary margins for the aid of 40 billion to deal with the pandemic, the Recovery Fund and vaccines.