Greek Deputy Minister to the Prime Minister Giorgos Mylonakis has spoken publicly for the first time since his serious health scare, condemning what he described as a character assassination campaign and saying he intends to draw a line under the hostility he has faced.
In a wide-ranging interview with Kathimerini, Mylonakis reflected on his recovery, his family’s support and his political career, while also addressing allegations that had circulated in media outlets in Athens and Nicosia.
Speaking about reports that falsely linked him to a child abuse case, Mylonakis said the campaign had gone beyond anything he had previously experienced.
“I was familiar with these kinds of attacks, but what happened this time crossed every line,” he said.
“Imagine that they fabricated supposed messages from my phone and even my voice. Unfortunately, these days we are living in an era of bottomless thuggery.”
Mylonakis said Greece has a problem when public debate and politics become “communicating vessels filled with so much poison”.
“In the Cyprus case, I went as far as the prosecutor and did everything I had to do,” he said. “But this situation in our country is not normal. It has to change.”
He added that he intended to “draw a curtain” over such vulgarity, explaining that he would no longer allow it to affect him personally and would set clear boundaries.
A significant part of the interview focused on the health crisis that left him hospitalised for two months.
Recalling the day he collapsed inside the Maximos Mansion, Mylonakis said he still remembers the scene.
“I remember my collapse. The commotion around me. The faces leaning over me. Their anxiety,” he said.
He expressed gratitude for the support of his family throughout the ordeal.
“My wife and children stood like rocks,” he said.
His wife, journalist Tina Messaropoulou, said she never believed he would not recover, even during the 26 days he spent in a coma.
“Even during the darkest moments, I never thought anything bad would happen to him,” she said.
Mylonakis also spoke about his long-standing relationship with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, recalling how they first met when Mitsotakis served as Minister of Administrative Reform.
“At that time I became convinced that if there was one person who could change things, it was him,” Mylonakis said.
“He had a complete understanding of what was happening and a vision to stop it. Since then, I have stood unwaveringly by his side.”
He said a sense of duty had helped him through both his health battle and the political pressures he has faced.
“I care about doing the right thing. If I am clear about that in my own mind, I do not care what others say,” he said.
“I work for my country and, by extension, for Mitsotakis.”
Στα 13 χρόνια της ενεργής μου παρουσίας στην πολιτική, στο πλευρό του Πρωθυπουργού Κυριάκου Μητσοτάκη @kmitsotakis , δεν είχα δώσει ποτέ συνέντευξη.
— George Mylonakis (@georgemilon) July 12, 2026
Πίστευα πάντοτε ότι ο δημόσιος λόγος αποκτά πραγματική αξία όταν συνοδεύεται από έργο και ότι οι πολίτες πρέπει να μας κρίνουν… pic.twitter.com/csbcCeQLQU
