Opposition leader blasts government over energy costs and surveillance scandal

Main opposition leader Nikos Androulakis on Friday sharply criticized the conservative government over rising energy costs, accusing it of burdening households, businesses, and farmers while favoring powerful market interests.

Speaking in Parliament during a debate on a question he submitted to Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis regarding energy prices and security, Androulakis said government policies were driving inflation and strengthening market cartels while “handing over critical infrastructure and creating new dependencies.”

“This is a critical issue affecting every household, every small and medium-sized business, farmers, and industry,” he said. Androulakis warned that Greek citizens pay some of the highest electricity prices in Europe, noting that 32% of households have overdue utility bills, compared with just 6.9% across the European Union.

“Nearly one in five households cannot adequately heat their homes,” he said. “Behind these numbers are families turning off their radiators to afford groceries, small businesses scaling back because they cannot absorb electricity costs, and farmers whose production is no longer competitive or sustainable.”

Androulakis added that even as wholesale electricity prices decline, retail bills remain among Europe’s highest. He criticized the Public Power Corporation (PPC), accusing it of exploiting the energy crisis for profit. “PPC has turned into a golden goose for the ‘golden boys,’ a clientelist tool for distributing lavish advertising packages and investments,” he said.

The PASOK chief also condemned the government’s “rush and unplanned” phaseout of lignite coal, arguing it should have been tied to investments in energy networks and storage to ensure a fair transition to green energy. He described the allocation of the country’s energy sector as “one of the biggest scandals of the government,” saying farmers, cooperatives, municipalities, and energy communities are systematically excluded.

Androulakis highlighted the loss of green energy in 2025 equivalent to the entire agricultural electricity consumption of the country, or roughly 500,000 households. He also slammed the planned closure of the Ptolemaida lignite power plant, warning that shutting a facility funded with €1.5 billion and operational for only three years “directly undermines the public interest in a region where GDP is collapsing.”

He called on the prime minister to provide “clear answers” about the stalled Greece-Cyprus electricity interconnection project, accusing the government of failing to keep citizens informed amid conflicting statements from officials and claims that Turkish objections had blocked progress.

Androulakis also attacked the government over the illegal surveillance scandal, citing a Thursday court ruling that handed prison sentences to four private businesspeople and ordered five new investigations. He was among 87 people – including government ministers, senior military officials, and journalists – targeted by spyware while serving as an MEP. “Yesterday’s historic decision vindicates not only me but all who stood with integrity against dangerous and secretive practices,” he said, adding that the government will be held accountable and that a parliamentary inquiry will ensure no one escapes justice.