I hope, but without optimism, that the phone surveillance case will be fully clarified. Almost all constitutionalists spoke out. As a rule, they sharply criticize the government and the prime minister personally. As was natural, since the Prime Minister, as soon as he assumed his duties in August 2019, by law 4622/2019 subordinated the EMP to the Presidium of the Government. The Prime Minister then re-selected Mr. Panagiotis Kontoleons as Commander of the EYP. Because Mr. Contoleon did not have the qualifications required by law, the amendment changed the required qualifications to circumvent the problem.

I will not repeat the self-evident calls of constitutionalists to cover up the activities of the EMP so that it operates strictly in accordance with the principles of the rule of law. Right! I just wonder why they show up and talk after the holiday. Why did no one fight in time to correct bad lyrics? Should Mr. Androulakis have known that he was being watched in order to sensitize the constitutional experts?

From the statement of Mr. Evangelos Venizelos on the issue of surveillance, I leave legal arguments aside, the first paragraphs that I copy are noteworthy: “We are watching the whole model of the centralized exercise of power reach its limits with great noise. The mixture of feelings of omnipotence and anger proved uncontrollable. Therefore, the model must be changed immediately. This is necessary for the present and any future government.”

I think Mr. Venizelos’ conclusion is correct. I understand the prime minister’s need to consolidate power because some of his ministers are not up to the task. Until today, due to the “feeling of omnipotence”, he preferred to “turn a blind eye” to obviously unsuitable ministers. He kept them. He may have found some inner peace, but now he is called to piece together what he should have controlled but did not. The prime minister and the prime minister’s office, in doing the work that ministers and deputy ministers were supposed to do, inevitably make mistakes. Sometimes big mistakes.

SYRIZA and possibly other organizations are indicating that Mr. Mitsotakis should call an election. Will at least two electoral processes (because of simple proportionality) benefit Greece? The coming autumn and winter will be difficult. In addition to the well-known, Turkey, coronavirus, inflation and energy will be added. Can the government of N.D. may not be the best possible, but it could definitely be better if he gets rid of the unsuitable ministers, and it will be much better than the solution to government instability (albeit for a few months) or the “so-called government” that we had. under SYRIZA. Yes, they tell me, but no one thinks about what will happen after the elections! Interestingly, Mr. Mitsotakis will be punished for what happened at EYP. Then… let’s see. Parliamentarians N.D. represent voters N.D. If they no longer trust Mr. Mitsotakis, all they have to do is point it out to him and then choose a new leader and prime minister. Not dragging Greece into hasty elections. How the British did it.

Will at least two electoral processes (because of simple proportionality) benefit Greece? The coming autumn and winter will be difficult.

A few words about AIP. The competence of EYP includes the collection, processing and dissemination of information relating to national security. In the extremely dense articles written in the past few days about the EYP, interest has monopolized the monitoring of politicians and journalists. The Legislative Content Act (LPA), issued by the government, restored the pre-existing order that two prosecutors must agree to surveillance.

As for whether the EMP is doing its job well, I did not see any interest in the article. That is, if it collects and processes information related to national security. Who evaluates the work of EYP? The Prime Minister, in his recent speech on Mr. Androulakis’ wiretapping, referred to the EMP as “secret services”, inadvertently adding to the atmosphere of disloyalty. Because the collection and processing of documented information is not a secret process. The EYP should freely post on its website the information it collects about neighboring countries, proving its accuracy on a daily basis. The EYP website, in my opinion, should be updated daily and be the most authoritative source of open information about Albania, North Macedonia, Bulgaria and Turkey.

One last note about EYP. I read in a Communications Privacy Authority (CPA) report that there were 13,751 national security declassification orders in 2020 and 2,531 in 2009. 13,751 orders per year means 55 orders per business day , which must be checked by the competent prosecutor, and subsequently, according to the PNP, by the appellate prosecutor, to whom the relevant case is sent within 24 hours. The above doesn’t make sense to me! I find it hard to believe that EPA agencies uncover 55 national security threats every day that justify violating the privacy of conversations! EYP reports to the Prime Minister. He must make sure that 13,751 remarks are justified.