SYRIZA Leader Demands Answers on Alleged Illicit Funding Ties to Ruling Party’s PR Arm

09:14 13/5/2025 - Πηγή: Dikaiologitika

Famellos’ accusations highlight potential violations of political financing laws, urging a formal investigation into the connections between ND officials, a private firm, and state contracts, amid claims of political propaganda targeting opponents.

The leader of Greece’s main opposition party, Sokratis Famellos of SYRIZA–Progressive Alliance, has called on Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to publicly address mounting allegations of illegal financing involving the

ruling New Democracy (ND) party’s communications network, known as the "Truth Team." In a pointed parliamentary question, Famellos accuses the government of orchestrating a covert media operation funded through private channels and potentially with public money, designed to target and discredit political opponents.

The controversy centers on a series of investigative reports revealing that a private firm, Blue Skies AE, employed several ND-affiliated individuals, including current ministers and advisers, during the run-up to the party’s rise to power. These individuals were allegedly involved in operating or supporting the Truth Team, a digital platform known for aggressively promoting the ND line and attacking rivals through coordinated online campaigns. The reports further suggest that Blue Skies had business ties with public institutions and the communications firm V+O, raising concerns over a potentially illicit nexus between state contracts and political propaganda.

In his intervention, Famellos asked Mitsotakis to clarify who funds the Truth Team and similar anonymous online accounts, and whether any ND officials working for the party were simultaneously employed by Blue Skies. He also questioned how the government ensures compliance with laws governing political financing, which prohibit parties from receiving undeclared funds or channeling public money into partisan communications.

The Prime Minister’s office has not yet offered a detailed response to these questions. Government spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis confirmed in an interview that Deputy Minister Konstantinos Kyranakis and Social Cohesion Minister Sofia Michailidou had previously worked for Blue Skies. However, critics note that neither they nor others named in the reports disclose this affiliation in their official résumés. When asked about the Truth Team’s ties to ND, Mitsotakis acknowledged the group’s ideological proximity to the party, but denied any misuse of public funds.

Famellos filed a formal complaint with prosecutors, urging an investigation into possible breaches of campaign finance laws. On the same day, the Truth Team announced it would pursue civil and criminal action against him, which he says proves the government is attempting to intimidate and silence the opposition. “Your effort to gag us with threats of prosecution is unprecedented in Greece’s democratic history—and it will fail,” Famellos said in a statement.

He warned that the affair reflects broader issues of transparency and democratic integrity. “This isn’t just about political mudslinging,” he said. “It’s about whether Greek democracy is being undermined by an opaque system of funding and propaganda, where the lines between party, state, and private interests are dangerously blurred.”

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