Speaking on Action24 on Thursday evening (14/5/26), PASOK leader Nikos Androulakis addressed mounting political scrutiny over a property he leases to the Greek state — a deal that has sparked widespread debate and partisan clashes.
“A Familiar Attack”
“I am facing an attack—not only today, but over the past few days. It’s the same well-known pattern we saw during the wiretapping scandal,” Androulakis said. He accused the government of orchestrating a media-driven campaign aimed at his moral discrediting, echoing tactics used previously through leaks and insinuations.
He contrasted Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ public stance—calling the lease arrangement neither illegal nor unethical—with what he described as coordinated efforts behind the scenes to undermine his integrity.
“Ethical and Lawful”
“For me, ethics and legality are not mutually exclusive—they go hand in hand. I am both ethical and lawful,” Androulakis stated. “Others, however, are both unethical and unlawful—and this is demonstrated by multiple court rulings, including decisions issued against ministers by both the European Public Prosecutor’s Office and Greek judicial authorities.”
Four Alleged Government Misrepresentations
Androulakis launched a sharp critique of the government, specifically targeting Prime Minister Mitsotakis and Minister of National Defence Adonis Georgiadis. He listed four claims he called false:
First claim:
The building was first leased to the Hellenic Tourism Police in 2004 via an open tender—the first such process in the public sector at the time. The structure was newly built.
Second claim:
The tender was conducted under former New Democracy (ND) Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis. While ND selected the lowest bid in May 2009, the contract was signed under PASOK following national elections. The decision, Androulakis stressed, had already been made under ND.
Third claim:
The property was not a derelict building (“chrepi”), as claimed. It was newly constructed—making it illogical, he argued, to label a five-year-old building as dilapidated.
Fourth claim:
He denied earning €1.5 million from the lease. Instead, he said his average monthly net income after tax is €1,000. He dismissed reports claiming he earned €1.3 million as yet another slanderous fabrication.
Androulakis added: “I have never transferred even one euro abroad. In fact, I’ve brought money into Greece from abroad.”
He also noted that private parties have repeatedly offered significantly higher rents for the same property. According to him, the Hellenic Cadastre—currently under ND administration—unilaterally extended the lease agreement because it could not find alternative suitable premises.