Manzos slams ‘unthinkable’ statements by Georgiadis and Plevris
PASOK–Movement for Change has called on Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to take a clear stance following what it describes as unprecedented statements by two senior government ministers, who openly attacked international institutions such as Amnesty International and the International Court of Justice in The Hague.
Dimitris Manzos, head of the party’s Foreign Affairs Parliamentary Committee, said in a statement that “international courts and international justice constitute an integral part of a rules-based international order, binding on the states that have agreed to their application — including our own country.”
Manzos stressed that the “unacceptable social media posts by ministers Georgiadis and Plevris call into question Greece’s participation in the international system of interpretation and enforcement of international law.” He added that they reveal something even deeper: “For a significant segment of New Democracy, international rules and judicial rulings are seen as a ‘luxury’ that must give way to the law of the strong.”
He underlined that Greece has historically relied on international law to safeguard its national rights and interests, noting that recourse to international justice has long been a core strategic choice for the country.
“The question is one and clear, and it now concerns the Prime Minister himself,” Manzos said. “Does he agree with the statements made by his ministers? Do they reflect the position of his government?”
The controversy follows remarks by the Minister of Health, who described both Amnesty International and the International Court of Justice as “irrelevant, left-dominated entities,” adding that “no one should pay them any attention.”
Backing his ideological ally and long-time political associate, the Minister of Migration and Asylum echoed these views, claiming that “the case law of many European and international courts, as well as the decisions of international and European bodies, have been influenced by a long-standing hegemony of left-wing ideology.”
