State Minister Stavros Papastavrou and Deputy Minister Ioannis Bratakos have handed in their resignations to Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. Their decision comes in the wake of a meeting with prominent businessman and publisher Vangelis Marinakis, which has stirred controversy and led to significant political fallout.
The resignations were accepted by Prime Minister Mitsotakis, who thanked both ministers for their service.
The meeting in question, held between the two ministers and Marinakis, has raised questions about potential conflicts of interest.
Government sources from Maximos, the official residence of the Prime Minister, voiced concerns about the ministers attending the event, emphasising that it "sent the wrong message" to the public. The timing of the meeting, closely following the publication of controversial audio edits related to the Tempe disaster by Marinakis' newspaper 'To Vima', further exacerbated tensions within the government.
While State Minister Akis Skertos initially denied the meeting, government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis later confirmed its occurrence, adding fuel to the fire of public scrutiny.
Opposition parties have seized upon the resignations as proof of government mismanagement and cosy relationships with powerful interests. SYRIZA-PS commented, "Once again they were caught with the goat on their backs. The forced 'resignations' of Kyriakos Mitsotakis' closest associates confirm the complexity in which the government of the Southwest has plunged. After Grigoris Dimitriadis, today it is the turn of Ioannis Bratakos and Stavros Papastavrou. Good luck to the next ones...".
As the fallout from the controversial meeting continues to reverberate through the political landscape, the resignations of Papastavrou and Bratakos signal a turbulent period for the Mitsotakis administration. The incident underscores broader concerns about the influence of powerful actors on governmental decision-making processes.
(Source: In.gr)
