From Kasos — a small but symbolically significant island with deep historical roots and strategic geopolitical weight — PASOK leader Nikos Androulakis delivered a pointed message to the Greek government, placing national sovereignty and the effective defence of Greece’s sovereign rights at the forefront.
A Strategic Visit
On Monday, 29 June 2026, Androulakis visited Kasos accompanied by senior party officials, including Michalis Katrini (PASOK’s Coordinator for Defence Policy), Dimitris Mantzos (Coordinator for Foreign Affairs), MP for the Dodecanese Giorgos Nikitiadis, and Kasos Mayor Michalis Erotokritos. His stop at the ‘Kasian Fighters’ National Guard Battalion’ underscored the visit’s symbolic resonance — a deliberate choice to frame criticism of current government handling of foreign policy and national security.
“Sovereign Rights Are Non-Negotiable”
Speaking from the battalion, Androulakis stressed that Greece’s sovereign rights are non-negotiable — as is respect for international law and the EU acquis. The reference was no coincidence: Kasos lies near a region of heightened strategic importance amid ongoing tensions in Greek-Turkish relations, including repeated challenges by Ankara to Greece’s maritime jurisdiction and airspace.
Criticism Over the Greece–Cyprus Interconnector
Androulakis linked his remarks to the stalled Greece–Cyprus electricity interconnector — a project the Prime Minister himself has described as strategically vital. “And it is,” he said — before adding plainly: “But the project has frozen.” The jab at the Maximos Mansion was unmistakable: grand declarations about strategic infrastructure fall short without concrete implementation timelines.
He urged the Prime Minister to inform the public fully on the project’s completion schedule — especially given its broader implications beyond energy, extending into Greece’s geopolitical role in the Eastern Mediterranean.
A Call for EU Action Against Turkey
Androulakis also called on the government to push for formal condemnation of Turkey by the European Council over Ankara’s attempt to codify its controversial ‘Blue Homeland’ doctrine through legislation in the Turkish Grand National Assembly. In doing so, he tied together three key threads: the interconnector, sovereign rights, and the need for a coordinated European response to Turkish provocations.
“Not a Government of Communications Strategies”
In his closing statement, Androulakis sharpened his critique: “Our country does not need a government serving communication strategies — but one that serves our national interests effectively.”