ATHENS – “New Democracy and I personally defended the right of the citizens to protest freely, peacefully and democratically, as provided in the Constitution,” main opposition New Democracy (ND) leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis said.

“The expression of national pride by hundreds of thousands of citizens who gathered at Syntagma square from every part of the country did not have a political colour. Nobody is entitled to politically exploit such a large gathering,” Mitsotakis said.

“The citizens expressed their agony. The lack of confidence in a government that, instead of cooperating with the opposition and jointly shape the national line, it did whatever possible to divide the political parties and the Greek people over a crucial national issue,” he added.