Apostolakis refuses his appointment by Mitsotakis as civil protection minister

Just two hours after Prime Ministet Kyriakos' decisions about the cabinet reshuffle were announced, Admiral Evangelos Apostolakis, who had served as defence minister under the previous SYRIZA government, refused to accept his appointment as minister in the newly-created civil protection ministry.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis created the ministry after this month's disastrous wildfires, which destroyed over 100,000 hectares of forest land.

Apostolakis finally refused his appointment as minister following a scathing attack by SYRIZA, which referred to him as an "apostate", essentially as a traitor.

It is hardly the first time for a Greek government to appoint as minister a cadre of the main opposition. Such moves are designed to signal a broadening of the ruling party's ideological and electoral base.

Yet, the rejection of an appointment after the fact is highly unusual, and in this case it raises unanswered questions about the understanding between Apostolakis and Mitsotakis.

Apostolakis maintained that he accepted the post on condition that there would be an inter-party consensus. Yet, there is no precedent for a main opposition party approval of a ministerial appointment.

In a statement to the iEidiseis news website, Apostolakis said, "This was decided under the condition that there would be inter-party [New-Democracy-SYRIZA] consensus. This was the one precondition for the creation of an independent [civil protection] ministry, to which Mr. Mitsotakis agreed. The first part [regarding the creation of an independent ministry] was honoured. Yet there was no bi-partisan agreement or discussion. I do not eschew responsibility. Yet, I cannot accept a proposal [appointment] that lacks inter-party consensus on a national issue....