Editorial: Danger

The wiretapping of a politician by the National Intelligence Service (EYP) was very serious from the start.

The surveillance of a European Parliament deputy may be legal, but as the prime minister admitted, it is a political mistake.

Hence, justifiably, PASOK-KINAL leader and MEP Nikos Androulakis is demanding that he be told why he was placed under surveillance by EYP, especially because during the same period there was an illegal attempt to hack his telephone with Predator spyware.

Main opposition SYRIZA is also justified in seeking an explanation, despite the fact that the operation of intelligence services is by definition secret.

Moreover, the prime minister quite rightly committed himself to carry out all necessary reforms in order to ensure better oversight of EYP and to bolster its integrity.

Citizens are paying close attention to this case.

They do not place it at the top of the list of problems that concern them, as the energy crisis and inflation are clearly their most urgent problems, but the fact that the revelations about EYP surveillance occurred in the normally politically relaxed month of August possibly contributed to its receiving more intense attention.

In the first opinion poll since the uproar over the surveillance of Androulakis, conducted by GPO and published in the weekend edition of Ta Nea, New Democracy has lost 1.7 percentage points since the last survey, while SYRIZA and PASOK-KINAL, which is the third largest party, have each gained about one percentage point.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis continues to lead main opposition leader Alexis Tsipras by a wide margin when respondents were asked which of the two leaders is more fit to serve as PM, although that lead dropped by four percentage points since last May.

These findings clearly highlight a prospective future problem – the danger of not being able to form a stable, viable government after the next general elections.

That prospect is very dangerous for the country, especially in a period in which it is confronted with critical problems.

That is yet another reason why the questions that have preoccupied both politicians and citizens must be answered as soon as possible, in a categorical and persuasive manner.