Greece’s former minister of agriculture Lefteris Avgenakis has been sacked from the ruling New Democracy party (EPP) after a video circulated on social media showed him attacking an airport worker in Athens.
The Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, still reeling from poorer-than-expected results of his party in the EU elections, referred Avgenakis to the party’s ethics committee on Wednesday (3 July) with a request for his expulsion.
The committee ratified the prime minister’s proposal and Avgenakis has been removed from New Democracy’s parliamentary group.
The video that triggered strong reactions in Athens shows Avgenakis attacking an airport worker outside a gate at Athens airport.
According to the Federation of Associations of Employees in Services and Commerce (OSEFPE), the Greek politician was travelling from Athens to Crete but confused the gates.
By the time he found the right one, the boarding had finished and the gate was closed. He then put pressure on the employee at the gate to allow him onto the plane.
The video shows the employee speaking on the phone when the politician suddenly grabs it forcefully from his hands. Shocked by the incident, the employee left his desk.
In a statement, Avgenakis admitted there was an incident of “verbal tension” with an employee who did not allow him to board, “claiming that boarding had been completed”.
The former minister then apologised for the incident but insisted he had only tried to speak to the employee’s line manager. He also said he would not give up his parliamentary seat.
The release of a security camera video from Athens International Airport, "Eleftherios Venizelos," has sparked widespread controversy. The video captured former Minister and New Democracy MP Lefteris Avgenakis in a confrontation with an airport worker at an exit gate.
Government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis condemned the incident, stating, "Attitudes of 'you know who I am' are not acceptable."
In response to the growing public outcry, Avgenakis addressed the issue in televised interviews on MEGA and ANT1 TV stations, as well as through a written statement. He expressed regret, stating, "I apologize for the tension and inconvenience caused... I am surprised by the exaggerations and inaccuracies circulated in social media posts." Avgenakis acknowledged there was verbal tension with a company employee who prevented him from boarding his flight, leading to the attempt to take the phone from the employee's hands to communicate directly. He emphasized that the incident remained limited to a dispute of words and intensity.
