The Greek government is facing criticism following the postponement of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ trip to Beirut. Planned as a confidential mission to war-torn Lebanon amid a temporary ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, the visit became a source of embarrassment when it was leaked days in advance, violating standard international security protocols for such high-risk journeys.
The situation worsened on the day of the scheduled trip when none of Greece’s three government aircraft were operational, leading to the trip’s postponement.
The Leaked Trip to Beirut
International missions to politically unstable or conflict zones, such as Beirut, are typically kept secret for security reasons, or at least until official government aircraft are en route, according to an article at To Vima.
However, in Athens, the Prime Minister’s trip leaked two days before government spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis could make the official announcement. This breach of confidentiality caused embarrassment at the Maximos Mansion, with the usual suspects for leaks denying involvement and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs disavowing knowledge of the leak, reports To Vima.
Adding to the intrigue, sources speculate that the leak might have originated from the flight plans themselves, which are classified and held by the Hellenic Air Force.
The developments raise questions about how such sensitive information could have surfaced, particularly as there was a similar incident involving former Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias and his trip to Libya.
Government Aircraft Up for Sale but Out of Order
The final blow came when the Prime Minister’s Falcon aircraft malfunctioned just before departure. Reports revealed that all three government aircraft were unavailable: two (the Embraer and Gulfstream) were undergoing maintenance, while the Falcon broke down. Adding to the controversy, the Embraer and Gulfstream are being sold, with officials citing prohibitively high maintenance costs—a move that has raised further questions about the management of Greece’s government fleet.
The series of missteps has underscored significant operational and procedural shortcomings within the Greek government, especially regarding the handling of classified information, leaving the leadership scrambling to mitigate reputational damage on the international stage.
