New Democracy parliamentary spokesperson Stratos Simopoulos accused Course of Freedom leader Zoi Konstantopoulou of sexism during a confrontation in the Greek parliament, after she asked him if he liked being on top as he walked to the podium.
The exchange occurred in the plenary chamber as Simopoulos prepared to speak on requests to lift the parliamentary immunity of four lawmakers, while presiding officer Giorgos Georgantas reminded him that he could also address the chamber from his seat.
Exchange on the Plenary Floor
Simopoulos immediately characterized the remark as sexist and asked Konstantopoulou if she routinely made such comments. The Course of Freedom president asked in response whether he had interpreted her remark as sexist.
Simopoulos replied that he had not, stating that he acted with good intentions, unlike her. Returning to the topic moments later, he added that if he had made a similar comment to her, all hell would break loose and she would have accused him of sexism.
During his formal speech, Simopoulos argued that members of the ruling party made a mistake by engaging in personal disputes with Konstantopoulou, saying such clashes provided her with political oxygen.
Claims of Political Oxygen
Simopoulos told the chamber that Konstantopoulou saw conspiracies everywhere and claimed that all lawsuits originated from a dark center. He stated that without such controversies she would have no reason for a political presence, accusing her of judicialising political life and politicising judicial matters.
He told lawmakers that parliamentarians needed to cut off her political oxygen rather than enter into personal confrontations with her. Noting that her party was struggling to clear the three percent electoral threshold, Simopoulos said he did not blame her for continuous insults despite her earlier sexism, but vowed that New Democracy would remove her political oxygen.
Following his address, Konstantopoulou requested permission to speak on a personal matter. Presiding officer Giorgos Georgantas denied her request, ruling that Simopoulos had delivered political rather than personal criticism.
Parliamentary Immunity and Parties
Simopoulos serves as a parliamentary spokesperson for New Democracy, the center-right political party in Greece. Konstantopoulou leads Course of Freedom, an anti-establishment political party she founded after previously serving as President of the Hellenic Parliament.
Under Greek electoral law, political parties must secure at least three percent of the national vote to gain representation in parliament. Requests to lift parliamentary immunity are submitted to the plenary assembly, where lawmakers vote on whether to permit legal proceedings against elected members.
