“Don’t confuse Cretan levity with tolerance of iniquity”
“The proud Cretan people are hurt and troubled by the latest events”, said the president of PASOK-Movement of Change, Nikos Androulakis, starting his placement at the meeting he called after the massacre at Northwhich is ongoing.
Mr. Androulakis, during the meeting in the presence of local bodies of the island, made it clear that zones of lawlessness also exist in other parts of Greece that must be dealt with holistically and not in terms of reality shows, quoting data on homicides which show, as he noted, that Crete does not record increased rates.
“They have been ruling the country since 2019 and have not managed to build a modern and efficient state, capable of ensuring public order and guaranteeing social cohesion. They failed to establish a sense of security”he emphasized and added: “For us in a normal European state there are no lawlessness zones. The law applies to everyone inexorably. Policing and justice must be everywherewithout exceptions that create a feeling of insecurity and cause big questions for every ordinary everyday person about the functioning of the rule of law”.
The president of PASOK, speaking to the agencies, explained that in mountainous and remote areas of the countryside, the inhabitants were left without adequate policing and there was a disruption of vital services of the Greek Police.
Regarding the measures announced by the Minister of Citizen Protection, Michalis Chrysochoidis, Mr. Androulakis pointed out that the New Democracy resorted to the well-trodden path, which is the tightening of penalties.
“For months now, in order to hide their governmental responsibilities for the organization and implementation of the OPEKEPE scandal, which today the farmer and the breeder throughout Greece are paying dearly, those who are responsible for the laws not being applied – as a result of which there are zones of lawlessness in many parts of the country – those who invested in collective culpability to hide their governmental responsibilities, whether they spout vagueness or they propose to us the model of gun ownership in the USA, where in the first 10 months of 2025 we had 64 cases of shootings in primary schools and colleges, with 26 dead and 100 injured”, underlined Mr. Androulakis. Commenting on the fact that the views on gun ownership of the Minister of Health, Adonis Georgiadis, were not disapproved, he said that this means that “the prime minister deliberately turns a blind eye to positions dangerous for security and social cohesion”.
Additionally, the president of PASOK-KINAL said: “Don’t confuse Cretan levity with tolerance of iniquity. The Cretan people have in their DNA the struggles for democracy and freedom. They fought the Germans and the Junta. These struggles have nothing to do with lawlessness, but what are the hitherto lauders of the security forces, Holocaust deniers and admirers of the protagonists of the dictatorship to understand?
However, as he explained, focusing on the measures already announced there are penalties for gun possession and gun use in the degree of a felony, while he clarified that “for PASOK-KINAL the issue is effective policing and here the New Democracy government has failed miserably”. He also noted that at the same time there are serious deficiencies and gaps, citing as examples that the Messara Police Sub-Directorate has not progressed, the Phaistos Police Department is understaffed, the motorized equipment is obsolete, despite the calls from the Police Unions.
Mr. Androulakis emphasized that in order to change a society, attitudes and behavior patterns must first be transformed.
“This transformation cannot be imposed by repression alone, since deeper policies are needed,” he pointed out, referring to a series of proposed measures related to education, self-government, Civil Society, sports, the church and its role, health and psychosocial support, as well as the television and radio campaign with relevant messages.
He also spoke about the important role that women have in these areas, explaining that measures and actions are needed to support them.
“I do not accept a tragedy becoming a reality show, a tragedy becoming a field of sterile partisan confrontation so that the government of Mr. Mitsotakis can get its tail out. We live here, we know the problem, we can all together, beyond parties and beyond ideologies, find solutions”, underlined the president of PASOK-KINAL.
“We have to heal the wounds and let the country move forward. This is what our homeland deserves, this is what Crete deserves with the great struggles for freedom and democracy. This is what the Cretan people of the 21st century deserve”, Mr. Androulakis concluded.
The regional governor of Crete, Stavros Arnautakis, in his statement said: “Beyond parties and oppositions, we need to be able to unite society in this difficult problem facing Crete. The Region of Crete is already working on a proposal to the competent Ministry of Economy and Finance, so that we can have a comprehensive program based on specific actions, in areas where there is delinquency. I think that with the pressure of all of us we can have a positive result”.
The meeting was attended by the head of Citizen Protection, Giorgos Mulkiotis, the State Member of Parliament, Panagiotis Doudonis, and the PASOK MPs elected in Crete. On the part of the organizations, a representative of the Church of Crete, the regional governor of Crete, Stavros Arnautakis, the mayors of the island, the General Regional Police Director of Crete, Nikos Spyridakis, representatives of the Police Officers Unions, representatives of the Bar Associations from all four Regional Units, as well as representatives of the educational community attended.