Who spied on the Greek opposition?
Panagiotis Kontoleon, head of the Greek intelligence agency EYP, has resigned over a wiretapping scandal. Opposition politician and MEP Nikos Androulakis had filed a complaint after the EU Parliament's Cybersecurity Agency discovered the Predator spyware on his mobile phone. The Greek press takes stock of the pressure on Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotaki.
Mitsotakis must step down
For Efimerida ton Syntakton the head of government is clearly responsible:
“Since the summer of 2019, the National Intelligence Service has been directly under the prime minister's office, and it is impossible that its chief Panagiotis Kontoleon did not inform his direct superior. And even if one accepts the Greek prime minister's statements they are doubly dangerous: if Prime Minister Mitsotakis was unaware of what this intelligence service, which is so important for national security, was doing, he allowed it to operate as a parallel state at the heart of the state during his time in office. The only way forward for the country - and for democracy - is to go to the polls immediately. Resign, Mr Mitsotakis, it is already too late.”
Scandal results in instability
This would not be the first storm that Mitsotakis has weathered, Protagon.gr reminds readers:
“Political life will enter a phase of destabilisation that may have dramatic consequences for the country if this case is not thoroughly resolved. Prime Minister Mitsotakis has managed to survive successive crises almost unscathed for three years because he's always been better poised than his political rivals. Now he must demonstrate this advantage again on an extremely sensitive issue. The opposition will not let the scandal rest but will seek to exploit it for electoral purposes.”