ATHENS — Μain opposition SYRIZA-Progressive Alliance leader Alexis Tsipras attacked Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis through his speech in parliament on Friday, during a discussion on Tsipras' question regarding recent incidents of police violence, accusing the prime minister "of choosing tension and division" as a main strategy.

Tsipras began his speech by expressing his support for all the citizens that have been suffered "police arbitrariness" while wishing a speedy recovery to the policeman who was injured, as Tsipras said, "by hooligans" in Nea Smyrni.

SYRIZA's leader said these were "heinous phenomena" that "cannot be tolerated by any democratic citizen," underlining that it was the responsibility of the state and "objectively, the responsibility of the government" to guarantee the social peace for both citizens and police.

"Today, after all the things that have happened in the last few days, I am not here only to ask questions. In the context of parliamentary scrutiny, I not only question but also accuse you," said Tsipras.

"I accuse you because, at the most crucial moment for Greek society, when the citizens are under pressure, weary and despairing due to the pandemic, you attempted to shirk your responsibilities by choosing tension and the division as your main strategy," the main opposition leader said, while also referring to the management of the pandemic and speaking of "failure" with "tragic results".