At first, there were only rumors about the “bad behavior of Mr. Georgulis”, which reached the ears of the party in 2022. “However, when the complaint was received, our party reacted immediately. There have been rumors about him before. Alexis Georgoulisbut he himself denied it, speaking of slander.

This was stated, among other things, by the representative of SYRIZAPopi Tsapanidou speaking on Action24 on Wednesday morning about the case of the MEP.

He emphasized in detail: “When we learned about the rumors, when Dimitris Papadimoulis, the head of our Eurogroup, told us about the rumors and asked Alexis Georgoulis what was going on, and he denied it, SYRIZA-PS did not stop there. We searched through the procedures that we could, turning to the authorities of the European Parliament, if indeed there was a complaint. The relevant authorities have not confirmed the rumors of abusive behavior we are investigating. They won’t even be able to confirm it because they are shrouded in mystery. The complaint was received by the E/C literally the day before yesterday, because it was then that the question of lifting immunity arose.”

He noted that “Mr. Georgoulis was expelled from both the Eurogroup and our party and was asked to return the seat.” He also said that “choosing an MEP cannot be equated with whether or not one is a ‘smart person'” and that “a job doesn’t automatically make you good or bad, it makes you a person.” “But there are famous people who have a lot to offer, we can’t discount people’s values. The quality of each is determined not by the profession he does, or his degree,” he stressed.

“We are on the side of the victim and do not show tolerance,” Ms. Tsapanidou also noted, emphasizing the position of SYRIZA-PS on this case, the “immediate reaction” of the side and the “immediate expulsion” of the MEP.

The representative of SYRIZA-PS stated that she was shocked by this fact, and added, in particular, that “as soon as the complaint became known, the MEP ceased to be a member of the party, we immediately reacted and expelled him.” He noted that SYRIZA-PS is waiting for the court’s decision, but “until then, Alexis Georgoulis cannot be a member of a political party that has always supported women’s rights.” He said that “the complaint against Mr. Georgoulis raises issues that are deeply rooted in the SYRIZA-PS value system. Women’s rights issues for which our party has fought many battles.” “I can’t imagine what the woman went through who condemns Alexis Georgoulis. Personally, I am very embarrassed to see her photo on the channels. I am very upset as a woman, first of all, because of this case, ”she added.

Papadimoulis: I asked him in 2022 about the rumors

“I learned about the complaint against Georgoulis on Easter Monday, and within 15 minutes he was expelled from the party and the group of MEPs,” Dimitris Papadimoulis said for his part, adding that “it is a matter of principles for our party. SYRIZA with victims of sexual harassment, not perpetrators.”

“In 2022, I called Georgoulis and asked if there was anything against him after there were rumors of sexual harassment, but vague and at the level of gossip. He categorically denied his involvement and spoke of slander,” the head of the Eurogroup SYRIZA said in an interview with ANT1.

“Then we searched the file, but found nothing, there was no way to find anything,” said Mr. Papadimoulis, adding that “the applicant’s family didn’t know anything, Androulakis, Meimarakis, Weber and no one else knew.” ., how is it possible for me or Tsipras to know.”

Subsequently, Mr. Papadimoulis, when asked about this, said that he did not know if there were any other claims against Mr. Georgoulis, while stressing that he could not have had any other reaction when there were vague rumors and gossip. , which was done. when the official complaint.

Interest at the judicial level is now focusedwhen the matter is referred to the Legal Committee to consider whether the immunity of Mr. Georgoulis should be lifted.

Last night (April 18) it became known about the statement of his lawyers about his innocence. His Greek lawyer, according to ERT, stated that they have not yet received the case file, so at some point when they receive the case file, Mr. Georgoulis should be informed and then summoned to the Legal Affairs Committee to present your own opinion. . After this question, go to the plenum to decide whether to remove immunity from him. Then he will proceed to justice.

According to what the state television correspondent said, it could take two to three months before he arrives for the plenary session, but at the moment the plenary session is still ongoing in Strasbourg, so it is not known whether a decision has been made to discuss the specific issue in the Committee on legal matters at the end of the month or if it goes further.