Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis unleashed a scathing attack against opposition party PASOK in Parliament on Tuesday morning, during a debate on a healthcare bill, accusing the socialist party of trying to supplant major opposition party SYRIZA by copying the latter’s amendment submitted in 2020.
“It is a sign of your desperation to replace SYRIZA, even imitating their mistakes, before they even disperse,” Mitsotakis said.
The Greek Premier was responding to a proposed amendment tabled by the Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK) to include healthcare workers in the heavy and hazardous occupations category, essentially arguing PASOK had mimicked a past SYRIZA amendment.
Mitsotakis effectively called PASOK’s amendment flippant in his retort, calling on the opposition party to comprehend the new fiscal rules, which required that any proposal involving additional spending had to be justified and accounted for, including where the cuts would come from.
Mitsotakis further accused PASOK of proposing a measure that would allow healthcare workers to retire at 62, which, he said, would result in the retirement of 7,500 doctors and nurses “at a time when we are desperately searching for them.” He argued that such proposals are simplistic, lack proper cost analysis, and fail to provide genuine solutions for the National Health System (NHS). “I expect more from PASOK than this,” he concluded.
The Greek deputies are debating a new health bill that institutionalizes the role of the “personal physician.” This initiative is part of the government’s plan to reform the National Health System (ESY) and improve services for citizens across the country.
The bill seeks to improve public health with a focus on prevention, universal healthcare access, and reducing inequalities. It also introduces the option for every citizen to register for free with a doctor in their area, significantly expanding the pool of doctors who can become personal physicians.
“For the first time in our country, we are implementing an organized prevention program, a reform that yields tangible results,” Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis noted during his address. He emphasized that the National Health System (NHS) is a priority for Greek citizens and acknowledged the accumulated challenges it faces. According to Mitsotakis, these issues stem from the financial crisis and would require years to fully resolve. “However, significant progress has been made with the reorganization of the NHS, and the benefits are gradually becoming visible,” he noted.
In his opening remarks from the podium, the Greek Prime Minister indirectly alluded to developments within SYRIZA, noting, “The composition of Parliament may appear slightly different today after the realignments on the opposition benches, but the bill we are discussing is part of a consistent path we are following.”
