President's EU speech photos spark debate

Photos capturing yesterday's speech by the President of the Republic, Nicos Christodoulides, at the European Parliament have gained traction on the internet, leading to speculation that they might have been digitally altered to showcase a larger presence of Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) in the chamber.

The circulating images consist of two photographs: one depicts a sparsely populated chamber, while the other portrays a fully occupied hall. Several political figures, including former Health Minister George Pamporidis, took to Twitter to comment on the situation. Pamporidis wrote, "If the photos were indeed manipulated to conceal the empty seats of MEPs, the President himself should relinquish his decision-making role today. The Office of the Presidency cannot be associated with such deceptive practices." Former Finance Minister Constantinos Petrides echoed this sentiment, stating, "If this allegation proves to be true, it is an extremely serious matter. Official explanations are certainly warranted."

Αν πράγματι έκαναν photoshop για να καλύψουν τα κενά έδρανα των ευρωβουλευτών, ο ίδιος ο ΠτΔ οφείλει σήμερα να παύσει τον ιθύνοντα νου. Δεν μπορεί η Προεδρία να ταυτίζεται με τέτοιου είδους απατηλές πρακτικές. #Ντροπή https://t.co/EGi9v5KnXI

— George Pamboridis (@GPamboridis) June 14, 2023

According to government sources, one of the photos was taken at the beginning of the president's speech, when the chamber had not yet reached full capacity, while the other was captured shortly thereafter, as MEPs began to gather on the benches. Additionally, they argued that anyone watching the video footage or examining the official photos posted on the European Parliament's official website could easily verify the sequence of events.

The published media, as presented in the European Parliament, has generated widespread discussion and debate.

[This article was translated from its Greek original]