Greece’s prime minister has fallen short of the occasion, and I’m sorry there’s no other way to put it when you read his statements about Trump’s attack on Venezuela and the abduction of its president. And the threats of the same—or worse—for other countries. Whichever ones he fancies, as if he owes anyone an explanation.
And if someone says, “Why do you care about Greece’s prime minister?” I’ll answer that whether we like it or not, our country’s future is directly bound up with Greece’s choices, decisions and actions. And we’re not worried about the Greek people and their support for Cyprus—we worry, time and again, about those holding the reins. No need for even the slightest example. And it doesn’t mean we’re not worried about our own leaders, too. We worry and doubt constantly, and rightly so.
Mr Mitsotakis is, I believe, the only EU country leader who didn’t even bother keeping up appearances. Except for Orbán, who reckoned the development was good for energy.
Mr Mitsotakis is the prime minister who publicly relegated international law to second place, simply to avoid saying anything that might be misunderstood by the new John Wayne. The rest, including our own president, at least maintained some semblance of propriety. They invoked international law, if nothing else. At least as a reminder, to have it on record.
The great Mr Mitsotakis didn’t even do that. And he rushed to tell the whole world that “now is not the time to comment on the legality of recent actions. The priority at this moment must be ensuring a peaceful and swift transition to a new, inclusive government with full democratic legitimacy.”
The man leads a country whose half of the Aegean is contested by a more powerful neighbour, and he still doesn’t grasp that if we’re to stay afloat—his country and ours—against Turkey’s Trumps, it’s only through invoking and practically respecting international law by all UN member states. Without international law—even as an invocation or a wish—we’re done for.
We’ve been discussing for two years making a simple electrical interconnection between Cyprus and Greece, the kind nearly every European country has done, and many others on other continents, and the two governments don’t dare lay even 100 metres of cable in international waters because Turkey objects. And the prime minister found this moment to fish for approval and declare subservience to the planet’s ill-starred overlord, saying now is not the time to talk about international law.
If they smash our research vessels to pieces southeast of Crete, Mr Mitsotakis, or even the warships you might send to monitor them, will it be time for any third party to speak of international law? Or will we deserve to be told “gather the wreckage, bury your dead with honours, and we’ll see”?
If they block you tomorrow or the day after, as they did to us in Block 3 of Cyprus’s EEZ, from drilling in lawful seabed blocks of Greece’s EEZ, Prime Minister, won’t that be the time for anyone to speak about international law either?
Do you genuinely not understand how much Greek and Cypriot interests are at risk (and everyone’s interests on the planet) if we don’t speak, at the very least, about international law? If we don’t seek it and demand it even from fearsome, invincible and reckless cowboys?
