Debate over the government’s draft bill on Collective Labour Agreements opened in unusually heated fashion in Greece’s Parliament on Thursday, 12 February 2026. The bill is scheduled for a vote on Friday, 13 February.
Opposition Demands Answers Over Panagopoulos Probe
Opposition parties pressed the government for clarification regarding the ongoing investigation into Giannis Panagopoulos — president of the General Confederation of Greek Workers (GSEE) — by Greece’s Anti-Money Laundering Authority. Labour Minister Nikē Kerameōs dismissed the move as an attempt to divert attention from the substance of the legislation, insisting the probe and the bill are unrelated matters.
Constantopoulou’s ‘Wasps’ Remark Ignites Tensions
Tensions peaked when Zoē Constantopoulou, leader of the political party Plousia Eleftherias (Freedom March), took the floor to speak on the bill. Responding to MP Makarios Lazaridis of the ruling New Democracy (ND) party, she referred to ND MPs as “wasps” — a term widely interpreted as derogatory and inflammatory. Despite repeated interventions by Speaker of Parliament Giannis Plakiotakis urging her to retract the remark, Constantopoulou refused.
A Tense Exchange
The exchange quickly escalated:
Zoē Constantopoulou: “I’d advise the wasps sitting in the ND benches…”
Giannis Plakiotakis: “Please! Watch your language. You must withdraw that.”
Zoē Constantopoulou: “What is this? You’re obstructing a parliamentary leader from speaking — through bullying.”
Giannis Plakiotakis: “Please — it must be struck from the record.”
Zoē Constantopoulou: “Give me my allotted time first.”
Giannis Plakiotakis: “Withdraw it, to calm the atmosphere.”
Zoē Constantopoulou: “Are you joking? You told the ‘wasp’ — i.e., Mr. Lazaridis — to withdraw his comment about opposition ‘delusions’. Leave off with the ‘let’s move on’ — don’t spoil the good image you currently have, now that you’re three in retreat.”
Accusations of Bullying and SLAPP Tactics
Constantopoulou went on to accuse the governing majority of subjecting her to “verbal attacks” and “bullying”. She called on Minister Kerameōs to take a public stance on several issues, including what she described as SLAPP-style lawsuits targeting critics, and alleged government involvement in the recent industrial accident at the Biolanda plant. She singled out Minister of Development and Investment Adonis Georgiadis — who had previously praised Biolanda as a “model enterprise” — calling him an “ultra-right, quasi-fascist figure” seated in the cabinet and accusing him of defending Panagopoulos amid the scandal. She also noted she had submitted an urgent parliamentary question concerning victims and accountability.
Kerameōs: Panagopoulos Probe and Labour Bill Are Separate Issues
In response, Labour Minister Nikē Kerameōs stressed that the investigation into Panagopoulos — a private individual who received a formal notice from the Anti-Money Laundering Authority — and the collective agreements bill are “two entirely separate matters”. She added: “Full light must be shed on every aspect of that case.” She then shifted focus to the second issue at hand: “the institutional cooperation between the state and all social partners” — underscoring the broader policy aims of the legislation.