Greek Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis predicted an absolute electoral majority for Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis during an interview on Action 24 television.
Speaking on Tuesday evening, Georgiadis ruled out any possibility of forming a coalition government with Kyriakos Velopoulos and his right wing party Greek Solution following the next parliamentary elections, stating there was not a one in a trillion chance of such an alliance.
Georgiadis expressed extreme confidence that the ruling party would win outright in the first round of voting, eliminating the need for a second ballot. He stated he had consistently supported serving out the full four year parliamentary term. Addressing rumors of a potential new political party formed by former Prime Minister Antonis Samaras, Georgiadis remarked that he did not know whether the initiative would move forward, using a traditional idiom to suggest there was much talk but little substance.
The minister explained that the Panhellenic Socialist Movement, known as PASOK, was the only political party with which New Democracy could theoretically have governed. However, he noted that since PASOK officially rejected coalition prospects at its party conference, that option was closed. He added that no figure within or outside the party would be able to demand that Mitsotakis step down as prime minister.
New Democracy is Greece's primary centre right political party, led by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who took office in June 2019. The party currently holds a majority in the Hellenic Parliament. PASOK is the country's main centre left opposition party, while Greek Solution, founded by former television presenter Kyriakos Velopoulos, represents a right wing populist faction in Greek politics. Antonis Samaras previously served as prime minister of Greece from 2012 to 2015 and led New Democracy until his resignation in 2015.
Investigation into Private Medical Clinics
During the television appearance, Georgiadis addressed ongoing public concern surrounding the death of Giorgos Mazonakis and the scrutiny placed on a private medical practice operated by Ioanna Gaka. The minister stated that he held no personal or ministerial responsibility for supervising the facility, explaining that inspection authority rests with regional medical associations, law enforcement agencies, state prosecutors, and the National Transparency Authority.
Georgiadis acknowledged long standing systemic deficiencies in state oversight across Greece, noting that inspection failures extended beyond healthcare into tax offices and urban planning departments. To address oversight gaps, he highlighted the newly established Medwatch monitoring system at the Health Ministry, promising that impressive initial data from its first five days of operation would be presented on Wednesday.
Responding to political criticism regarding the historical abolition of the Body of Health and Welfare Services Inspectors, Georgiadis argued that the former agency had failed to prevent past abuses. He cited a case from 2016 to 2019 in which an unlicensed practitioner entered hospitals, distributed bogus herbal concoctions, and caused five deaths while the inspectorate was fully active. He added that the body's duties were reorganized under the independent National Transparency Authority in 2019, and noted that Gaka's clinic had operated without hindrance under the previous SYRIZA administration.
State Accountability and Regulatory Proposals
Addressing debates over a formal state apology, Georgiadis remarked that public officials face criticism as callous if they remain silent and as an admission of guilt if they apologize. He clarified that he did not apologize in his official ministerial capacity because private clinic inspections fall outside his legal jurisdiction. However, speaking as a representative of the state at the funeral of Giorgos Mazonakis, he expressed sorrow that existing institutional safeguards had failed to prevent the tragedy.
The minister revealed that government officials are considering the creation of a dedicated inspection body within the Health Ministry, though he emphasized that no final decision has been reached. He also criticized PASOK for making political insinuations regarding a 2023 conference attended by Ioanna Gaka.
Clinic Opening Controversy and Cabinet Remarks
Georgiadis defended his recent attendance at the opening of a private clinic in the southern suburbs of Athens, clarifying that the facility does not perform plasmapheresis, a procedure involving the separation of blood plasma. He urged critics not to target legitimate medical businesses alongside problematic ones. He accused opposition lawmaker Pavlos Polakis of adopting unverified claims from Velopoulos's media site, comparing the controversy to past unfounded allegations regarding xylene chemicals.
Finally, Georgiadis responded to recent public comments by senior lawmaker Dora Bakoyannis, who suggested that certain government ministers had become arrogant in office. Georgiadis rejected the characterization, stating that he did not believe the assertion was accurate and had not observed such behavior among his cabinet colleagues.
Adonis Georgiadis has served as Greece's Minister of Health since early 2024, having previously held senior portfolios in development and admiralty. The National Transparency Authority operates as an independent administrative body created to consolidate state audit functions and combat corruption across public sector entities.
