Tsipras calls on Greek PM to announce snap elections, if he dares

SYRIZA party president and former prime minister (2015-2019) Alexis Tsipras, appeared at the customary press briefing allocated to the country’s main opposition leader during the second and last weekend of the annual Thessaloniki International Fair (TIF), which comes exactly one week after a similar Q&A by the Greek prime minister.
Asked about the prospect of a snap election and last week’s quip by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, from the exact same podium, of “turkeys not being in a rush for Christmas”, Tsipras replied that the former should declare them if he dares and has the political “courage”.

Mitsotakis’ reference to “turkeys” and “Christmas” aimed to convey his confidence that the center-right New Democracy (ND) party will defeat leftist SYRIZA in any upcoming general election. The large domesticated bird is usually served in Greece during the Christmas and New Year’s dinners, akin to Thanksgiving in the United States.

Tsipras also heaped criticism on the ND government over its handling of the pandemic and a vaccination program, referring to what he called a “complete failure”.

“Someone has to take on this responsibility. Greece is a ‘champion’ in terms of Covid-19 cases and in second place in terms of (related) deaths (per million). second in deaths (according to statistics). There are certain reasons for this negative reality…It doesn’t make sense to blame the citizens for this failure,” he said.