Former EDEK MP Giorgos Varnavas accuses party leadership of targeted harassment

Former EDEK Member of Parliament Giorgos Varnavas has issued a public statement alleging that party officials and paid staff are conducting a social media smear campaign against him and his family. Varnavas states that this hostility intensified following his decision not to support the EDEK electoral ticket in the upcoming parliamentary elections. He claims that his previous silence was perceived as weakness, prompting further attacks. Furthermore, Varnavas explicitly refuted claims made by current EDEK President Nikos Anastasiou regarding a potential reconciliation. According to Varnavas, while he and Anastasiou exchanged messages in October 2025 regarding a possible meeting, no such meeting ever occurred, contradicting the leader's assertion that Varnavas refused to return to the party. The former MP also noted his unsuccessful attempt to secure the party presidency in 2021 as a demonstration of his prior interest in active engagement. He further alleged that party leadership has systematically excluded him from official events and gatherings in recent years. This statement marks a formal escalation in the public dispute between the former legislator and the current EDEK leadership.