PASOK leader Nikos Androulakis launched a sharp attack on the government during parliamentary oversight proceedings, criticizing its handling of the Recovery and Resilience Fund.
Speaking during questions directed at the Finance Ministry, he argued that citizens never felt the fund delivered bold changes, pointing to a lack of clear priorities, project lists that were constantly revised, no real consultation, and what he described as a closed system of power centered on the Prime Minister’s office.
Raising his tone and directing his criticism straight at the Prime Minister, Androulakis said he had pushed for greater emphasis on public infrastructure and proposed revising the fund after spotting distortions, only to be mocked by the Prime Minister himself as a populist supposedly deserving an award for incompetence, because the fund could not be revised.
Androulakis noted that it was, in fact, revised four times, calling the government amateurish and incompetent.
He argued for the creation of a special committee to transparently evaluate where the funds were directed, and pledged that following a change in government, his party would track spending down to the last euro.
He accused the government of leading not just in political toxicity but in direct contract awards and in tenders he characterized as rigged in advance.
Responding, Deputy Finance Minister Nikos Papathanasis said the core goal was to strengthen the economy, making it more competitive and resilient, while improving citizens’ daily lives.
He cited economic indicators, including unemployment falling to 8 percent, a drop of over 52 percent, alongside increases in both the minimum and average wage, arguing this reflected genuine economic progress rather than growth funded through higher taxes. He said PASOK could criticize but could not erase results, adding that the fund is a program still evolving daily.
Papathanasis also pushed back directly at PASOK’s benches, insisting the government could not be accused of missing a target it had actually met. He noted that the program’s revision was being finalized that same day, with 256 milestones achieved, and that Greece would collect the remaining funds to reach a total of 30.5 billion euros, calling this evidence of consistency rather than inaction.
He closed with a pointed remark that the national effort was paying off and being completed, accusing PASOK of submitting a fear-driven question when, in his view, the target had clearly been reached.
