Georgiadis and Androulakis clash in Greek parliament over social media ban, Turkey-Libya memorandum and Kasidiaris event

Clash over the social media bill

The exchange took place in the Greek parliament on Thursday, 29 October 2026, during debate on a bill to establish a legal entity under public law called the Panhellenic Association of Psychologists. Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis accused PASOK, the main opposition party, of abstaining on a measure that bans social media use by children under 15, saying its leader Nikos Androulakis acted out of dislike for Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. Georgiadis said the Ombudsman, the Greek Child Psychiatry Society and the World Health Organization had all given positive views on the bill in committee.

“The small-minded opposition will not make you prime minister.”

Georgiadis said PASOK had "left our children unprotected" and cited a poll showing 62.9% of respondents hold a positive or rather positive view of the national health system. Androulakis answered that the minister distorts his party's position and that of the scientific bodies, which he said backed PASOK's proposal for a modern European framework but opposed a blanket ban.

Health system and poll dispute

Androulakis asked when a health minister had previously cited a favourable poll to answer questions on health issues. He mocked the idea of offering patients waiting in emergency rooms or for surgery a poll by Opinion Poll, and said Greeks pay the highest private health spending in Europe. He compared the level of private health spending with that of Bulgaria, arguing that Greeks pay Western European taxes but have Bulgarian-level private health expenditure.

Turkey-Libya memorandum

Androulakis called the Turkey-Libya memorandum a clear diplomatic defeat and asked how the government moved from declarations on privileged relations with Libya to ratifying the memorandum. Georgiadis conceded that what happened in Libya was an unpleasant development but said the government, the prime minister and the foreign minister had worked to prevent it. He said 27 EU member states, Israel, Egypt, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and the UN Secretary-General had not backed the Turkish position, and called the memorandum legally void.

Androulakis also cited criticism from New Democracy MPs, naming Kairidis, Syrigos and Kalogeropoulos, who he said spoke of political defeat in Libya and retreat at Kasos. He asked the government to bring the memorandum it signed with Bulgaria before parliament.

Kasidiaris event in Thessaloniki

Androulakis condemned an event held by Ilias Kasidiaris in Thessaloniki on the national anniversary of 28 October, calling it a "repugnant gathering of hatred and bigotry" by a convicted criminal and admirer of Hitler and Nazism. He said no New Democracy minister had issued a condemnation. Georgiadis and the ruling party responded to the criticism, but the sources do not give a full record of the government's reply on this point.