Former prime minister Alexis Tsipras pushed back against comments by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who questioned his renewed political ambitions, saying Greek voters had “revoked his driver’s license” three times, referring to Tsipras’ electoral record.
“If your driver’s license is taken away three times, can you drive another car? The answer is no. Mr Tsipras has had his driver’s license taken away’ three times by the Greek people, and now he is forming a new party, he wants to drive a new car, but he is the same Mr Tsipras. Isn’t that right?” Mitsotakis said in a televised interview late Thursday.
Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of a conference Friday, Tsipras rejected the comparison. “I knew that a driver’s license is taken away when you break the rules, not when you lose elections. I governed and did not break any rules. Mr Mitsotakis has made our country a permanent client of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office and has distributed favors to his cronies,” Tsipras said, adding that “therefore, if anyone could not even drive a scooter, it is Mr Mitsotakis.”
Tsipras, who recently founded the Greek Left Alliance (ELAS) party, said he is “proud” that public opinion largely views his record as “honest,” despite acknowledged mistakes during his time in office. He added that upcoming elections will focus not only on the economy but also on the quality of democracy.
