PASOK issued a forceful response to Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis after he spoke about seeking consensus with the opposition for appointments to Greece’s Independent Authorities. A source close to the party leadership remarked that the prime minister was knocking on the wrong door, urging him instead to approach Kyriakos Velopoulos, whose backing the government had previously relied upon.
The disagreement centers on the vacant leadership roles at ADAE, the Data Protection Authority and the Ombudsman. Another PASOK official recalled that the government had turned to Velopoulos in the past when altering the ADAE board during the wiretapping investigation, an episode widely criticized as an attempt to tilt institutional balances.
Mitsotakis is now calling for convergence with the opposition, yet he had not engaged in any consultation before the previous changes were pushed through. The cooperation between New Democracy and Greek Solution produced a majority of 3 5 in the Conference of Presidents just 1 day before ADAE was set to fine the intelligence service for its lack of cooperation regarding surveillance allegations involving PASOK leader Nikos Androulakis.
PASOK insists that its mistrust is rooted in the government’s track record on institutional integrity. The party has repeatedly accused the administration of political bargaining and of overstepping constitutional boundaries, rejecting in advance any bilateral meeting between Mitsotakis and Androulakis on this topic.
Party officials emphasized that their public proposal for transparent and merit based procedures aims to remove political gamesmanship from the selection of Independent Authority leaders. Androulakis had earlier advocated for an open process where candidates submit their resumes publicly, asserting that this would restore confidence and fairness.
The significance of Independent Authorities, PASOK notes, goes far beyond symbolism and directly affects the quality of democratic governance. Senior party figures recalled past attacks against these institutions and highlighted the late night reshuffling of ADAE during the ongoing wiretapping probe, which they described as a coordinated move carried out without the constitutionally required 3 5 majority.
The party stresses that its commitment to transparency guides every step it takes and that these principles should put an end to practices it views as harmful to the institutional framework. Calls for institutional clarity have been repeated since the government’s first indication that it wished to reopen discussions with PASOK on the appointments.
One area where PASOK and the prime minister agree is the need for the Conference of Presidents to convene swiftly so the pending appointments can finally move forward. The Constitution assigns the body sole responsibility for these decisions, and both sides recognize the urgency of filling the vacant posts.
PASOK underlines that it remains ready to submit its proposals through the proper institutional channels, following the principles of transparency, accountability and responsibility. Party representatives made clear once again that no private meetings or informal understandings with Mitsotakis will take place, closing the door on any expectation of political compromise.
