European Parliament debates "Predatorgate" as Greek spying scandal threatens Mitsotakis administration
The European Parliament is convening in a landmark plenary session today, Wednesday, March 11, to address a critical breach of democratic norms: the "Predatorgate" surveillance scandal in Greece.
The debate centers on a domestic espionage crisis that has besieged the conservative government of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. The controversy erupted in 2022 when Nikos Androulakis, leader of the Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK), discovered his device was infected with the Predator spyware.
Since the initial revelation, investigative outlets including Inside Story, Reporters United, and Solomon have systematically dismantled the government’s defense. These reports uncovered a complex web connecting state officials to private surveillance firms.
Immediately after his 2019 election victory, Prime Minister Mitsotakis centralized intelligence oversight under his direct control. This structural shift became a focal point of criticism following the resignation of his close aide, Grigoris Dimitriadis.
Investigations by Reporters United linked Dimitriadis to Felix Bitzios, a former executive at Intellexa—the company marketing Predator in Greece. While the government denies state involvement, journalists from the outlet Solomon have confirmed they were also targeted by the software.
Developed by North Macedonia-based Cytrox, Predator grants total access to target devices. Once infected, the software records calls, intercepts encrypted messages on platforms like WhatsApp, and harvests passwords, photos, and web histories.
In North Macedonia, local newspapers Nova Makedonija and Vecer have extensively documented how European governments utilize such tools. Meanwhile, the Greek opposition, led by the radical-left Syriza party, accuses Mitsotakis of direct complicity in the surveillance operations.
In Athens, the scandal has taken on a literary dimension. Locally, the program is known as "O Κυνηγός"—The Hunter (or The Cynegetic). The name evokes an ancient, predatory pursuit far more calculated than its cinematic namesake, echoing the gravity of a state watching its own citizens.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
