In a revealing interview on the show ‘Dekatianoi’ on SKAI TV Sunday morning (6.7.25), New Democracy MP Zetta Makri spoke out about her decision not to give in to blackmail from a journalist based in Volos and instead report him to the authorities. The journalist had been caught in possession of €5,000 in marked banknotes that Makri had given him after alerting the police.
The MP revealed that the journalist systematically demanded money in exchange for not publishing negative stories about her. Initially, he asked for €15,000, which she negotiated down to €10,000 to make the situation seem credible. ‘From the very beginning, I had decided that I would not hand over any money,’ she stated.
Makri added that public reaction did not surprise her, noting that it was striking how such incidents can occur even in small communities where people know each other well. She also admitted that she hesitated before taking action, as she had a personal relationship with the journalist involved. ‘I waited for some sign from him indicating he wouldn’t demand the money. It took me about three months to make the final decision to proceed, during which time he was waiting because I told him I needed time to gather the funds,’ she explained.