Two of the surprise choices by new Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis for a same-number of Cabinet posts, Michalis Chrysohoidis and Lina Mendoni, at the public order and culture ministries, respectively, were duly expelled from the KINAL party hours after the announcement on Monday.
Chrysohoidis, a top minister in several PASOK governments, returns to a post that during his tenure witnessed the 2002-3 eradication of Greece’s most notorious urban terrorist groups, “November 17”, as well as most of the planning and design for security in the run-up of the 2004 Athens Olympic Games.
Mendoni, a trained archaeologist, held the very high-profile position of culture ministry general secretary for no less than 10 years, in PASOK governments and ND governments, and is described by friends and foes alike as the “iron lady” of the culture ministry.
The decision for expulsion came by a code of ethics committee for the party, which is essentially the successor formation for once dominant PASOK.
