Greek opposition criticises government over Türkiye-Libya maritime agreement
Greece’s opposition parties and former Prime Minister Antonis Samaras have criticised the government after Libya’s House of Representatives approved the 2019 Türkiye-Libya maritime memorandum, accusing Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’s administration of diplomatic failure.
The decision has intensified political debate in Athens over Greece’s relations with Libya, negotiations on maritime boundaries and the government’s handling of Türkiye’s growing role in the Eastern Mediterranean.
PASOK QUESTIONS GOVERNMENT'S DIPLOMATIC APPROACH
Dimitris Mantzos, foreign affairs spokesperson for the main opposition Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK), described the approval as a highly negative development that could adversely affect Greece’s geopolitical position and national interests.
Mantzos said the decision contradicted government statements suggesting progress in negotiations with Libya over the delimitation of an exclusive economic zone (EEZ). He also pointed to Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis’s previous remarks that relations between the two countries were healing.
He called on the government to brief political parties and the public on the latest developments, arguing that the situation demonstrated the consequences of what he described as an inadequate conciliatory policy.
SYRIZA ACCUSES MITSOTAKIS OF FOREIGN POLICY FAILURE
Rena Dourou, parliamentary group leader of the left-wing SYRIZA party, described Libya’s approval of the memorandum as a failure of Mitsotakis’s foreign policy.
Dourou also criticised the government for not taking the maritime dispute with Libya to the International Court of Justice. She argued that Greece lacked a coherent national strategy and sufficient international influence, describing the latest development as another diplomatic setback.
OTHER PARTIES AND SAMARAS JOIN CRITICISM
The Communist Party of Greece (KKE) said contacts between Greek ministers and Libya had failed to produce results, questioning the government’s emphasis on maintaining strong alliances.
The Greek Left Alliance (ELAS) also described the development as a failure for Mitsotakis. In its statement, the party argued that Greece had not secured the support it needed from allies such as the United States and France, adding that Athens’s unilateral foreign policy had created strategic gaps that Türkiye had filled.
Former Prime Minister Antonis Samaras described the situation as a “dramatic event” and held Foreign Minister Gerapetritis responsible. He also criticised Mitsotakis for not dismissing the foreign minister.
The statements reflect opposition parties’ assessments of the government’s foreign policy following the Libyan parliamentary decision. The government’s response was not included in the source report.
BACKGROUND: THE 2019 TÜRKİYE-LIBYA MEMORANDUM
Türkiye and Libya signed a memorandum on the delimitation of maritime jurisdiction areas in 2019. The agreement has been a source of dispute between Türkiye and Greece over competing maritime claims in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Libya’s House of Representatives’ reported approval has now triggered renewed political criticism in Greece, with opposition parties demanding explanations from the government over its diplomatic strategy and its approach to maritime negotiations.
The development adds to ongoing regional tensions over maritime boundaries, energy interests and competing interpretations of international maritime law.
