Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis survived a no-confidence vote filed by the main opposition SYRIZA party for his alleged links to a surveillance scandal, Ednews reports citing Anadolu Agency. 

Taking to the floor of parliament before Mitsotakis, main opposition leader Alexis Tsipras blamed Mitsotakis for the scandal, which he called the greatest deviation in the country since 1974 when democracy was restored.

“Ultimately, the time of crisis comes at some point, for everyone and everything," he said and added that Mitsotakis has been conducting concealments, blackmails, intimidation and numerous kinds of illegalities to avoid facing “this moment.”

To cover up, he argued: “You unleashed an unprecedented wave of intimidation against those who know of it.”

“You knew everything and for six months you lied everywhere,” he said and argued that the premier is the mastermind of the parastatal organization which put many journalists, businessmen, generals and politicians under illegal surveillance.

He accused the prime minister of “selling cheap patriotism” and drew attention to the fact that the government signed arms deals worth €14 billion ($15.21 billion) since the summer of 2019, which did not benefit the local industry.

He claimed some of the arms are not necessary or wanted by military leadership.

Mitsotakis focused on comparing the “achievements” of his government in many sectors -- including the fight against irregular migration, foreign policy and the economy -- with the Tsipras government that ruled from 2015 -2019.

He accused SYRIZA of causing divisions and consequently harming Greece.

In reference to elections that are expected in late spring or early summer, Mitsotakis said “Democracy will be protected with the victory of the (ruling) Nea Dimokratia.”

The motion of no confidence was eventually rejected 156 to 143.

Only the independent deputy Andreas Patsis was absent.

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