Mitsotakis claimed:

‘Justice ultimately finds solutions. And democracy has the power to overcome any obstacle. Thus, Panos Routsi’s protest has ended, with his demands being accepted. At the same time, the trial for the tragic accident in Tempe begins, exposing those who tried to turn the case into a cheap party spectacle.’

He went on to criticise recent protests in Syntagma Square, claiming that the area around the monument to the Unknown Soldier had been disrupted. ‘For a few days, the centre of the capital was in turmoil,’ he said. ‘Now a reasonable question arises: can a historical monument like the Unknown Soldier become a venue for events unrelated to its mission? My answer is no.’

Mitsotakis announced that the government will introduce legislation next week to transfer ‘exclusive responsibility for the protection and proper functioning of the monument to the Ministry of National Defence’. He described the move as an effort to ‘untangle the tangle of responsibilities surrounding the protection and maintenance of this unique landmark of Athens’.

‘This is, after all, a monument created to honour the heroes who gave their lives for freedom. It belongs to historical memory, symbolised by the Presidential Guard,’ he said. ‘It is a monument open to all Greeks and to any visitor who wishes to admire it. We must preserve this familiar character that the Unknown Soldier has always had, and that is what we are doing.’

It is noted that Defence Minister Nikos Dendias had previously diverged from the prime minister’s office on how to handle Routsi’s hunger strike.

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