Unprecedented scenes of violence and crude language unfolded within the walls of the Hellenic Parliament. Former member of the far-right Spartans party, Konstantinos Floros, is reported to have assaulted and punched Vasilis Grammenos, an MP from the right-wing Hellenic Solution party, following a heated altercation rife with extreme obscenities.
The incident occurred as the Plenary Session was deliberating the lifting of immunity for Kyriakos Velopoulos, following a lawsuit filed against him by the father of an independent MP, who was one of the founding members of the Hellenic Solution.
During the session, Floros and Grammenos engaged in a verbal altercation. According to Konstantinos Floros, he addressed the parliamentary representative of Hellenic Solution, Konstantinos Chitas, stating that judges would determine whether Kyriakos Velopoulos was involved in the case.
Subsequently, the two men ended up in the atrium, with Floros reportedly grabbing Grammenos by the collar, punching him, and throwing him to the ground.
The President of the Parliament, Konstantinos Tasoulas, called for the removal of Konstantinos Floros from the assembly with the assistance of security, proposing a 15-day suspension for the independent MP from all parliamentary activities.
"Unfortunately, our regulations do not account for such barbaric behavior and are lenient, assuming we are addressing reasonable individuals. I seek the Assembly's permission to remove the lawmaker with security for 15 days from parliamentary duties," stated the President of the Parliament.
Hellenic Solution Denies Involvement
"For quite some time now, a fabricated dialogue purportedly between MP Vasilis Grammenos of Hellenic Solution and MP Konstantinos Floros of the Spartans has been circulating on various websites.
This dialogue was provided by the accused himself - now facing criminal charges - as well as some 'well-wishers' attempting to implicate Hellenic Solution, concocting it as a defense line.
We urge all Media Outlets to refrain from disseminating it; otherwise, we will be forced to seek legal recourse."
Konstantinos Floros Remains Unrepentant
On his part, former Spartans MP Konstantinos Floros appears unrepentant for his attack on Vasilis Grammenos inside the Parliament. While he admitted to not physically striking him but applying a "headlock," he emphasized no regrets, highlighting that Grammenos insulted his mother.
"The entire incident stemmed from Mr. Chitas's speech regarding the lifting of Mr. Velopoulos's immunity, which is due to a lawsuit filed by my father against Mr. Velopoulos for defamation through a fake Twitter profile. At one point during Mr. Chitas's speech, he mentioned that Mr. Velopoulos had no involvement in the specific case. I responded at that moment that the courts would decide, not you.
At that moment, without cause and without addressing him directly, Mr. Grammenos jumped in and said, 'Shut up, you trash.'"
The confrontations continued until things spiraled out of control: "I lost control, he insulted my mother. I didn't hit him; I applied a headlock. Is this behavior acceptable, to be insulted within the Parliament?" Konstantinos Floros stated to Alpha.
Ultimately, the lawmaker found himself facing an on-the-spot criminal charge, which carries a penalty of up to 10 years' imprisonment, before a judge and prosecutor, resulting in a change of demeanor and a declaration about the incident, although he denied physically attacking Vasilis Grammenos.
"Mr. Floros was released without any formal restrictions imposed. However, because he is an active member of parliament, he has been instructed to stay at least 50 meters away from Mr. Grammenos," said Floros's lawyer, who claimed there was no physical assault in yesterday's incident.
