A political dispute erupted after former prime minister Alexis Tsipras said he had confronted vested interests while leading the country, prompting sharp criticism from the government and PASOK.
The exchange centered on an interview with the site in.gr, in which Tsipras said: “I did not negotiate with interests, I did not serve interests, I confronted interests while I governed the country.”
He also said his “only goal is to rewrite history.”
Government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis responded forcefully. Referring to the interview headline, he said officials initially thought it was “some new summer revue,” adding that, “as unbelievable as it may sound,” the statement had indeed been made by the former prime minister.
Marinakis said he was awaiting the rest of the interview to see whether Tsipras would answer what he called critical questions. He cited issues including changes to the penal code, the alleged operation of an informal “parallel Justice ministry” in the prime minister’s office, and whether Tsipras viewed such actions as a confrontation with interests.
