By Nikos Karabasis
A new institutional scandal is shaking the foundations of Greece’s ruling New Democracy party and the Prime Minister’s Office, at a time when Kyriakos Mitsotakis continues to boast about the achievements of his government, despite growing public disapproval. Explosive revelations about the so-called “Truth Team,” a propaganda mechanism tied to the heart of the conservative party, are raising serious questions about a deeply entrenched system of political entanglement — one that appears to be directly linked to the Prime Minister and his inner circle.
The scandal, exposed by Inside Story, centers on Blue Skies, a private communications company run by Thomas Varvitsiotis and Giannis Olympios. The investigation reveals that since 2018, this company has employed key figures from the Truth Team, along with individuals working in strategic communication roles for both New Democracy and the Prime Minister’s Office. This is the first time it has been documented that a party’s communications apparatus is embedded within a private firm, raising urgent concerns about transparency, accountability, and the potential misuse of public funds.
Notably, Thomas Varvitsiotis is the son of a prominent ND figure and the brother of former minister Miltiadis Varvitsiotis. He is also rumored to be seeking a future parliamentary candidacy with New Democracy. Olympios, meanwhile, has a longstanding career in political communication, beginning as a press officer in the early 1990s during the government of Constantine Mitsotakis.
According to Inside Story, Blue Skies hired party-affiliated staff with expertise in social media and messaging, while simultaneously maintaining ties to public projects — a development that opposition parties claim represents a blurring of lines between party, government, and private interests.
The opposition has responded with fierce criticism. PASOK leader Nikos Androulakis, himself a victim of the government’s surveillance scandal, raised serious concerns in Parliament:
“Serious questions are being raised about how these digital vigilantes and disinformation operatives are funded. Are these trolls paid by the party or by vested interests? Are public funds being misused for character assassinations and propaganda?”
He pointedly accused government MPs of acting as online trolls or enabling them.
SYRIZA echoed the alarm, describing the Truth Team as an unofficial but central unit of online propaganda executing “contracts of character assassination.” The party cited instances of online attacks against journalists, political opponents, and even relatives of national tragedy victims, using false information and anonymous social media accounts.
The leftist opposition demanded full disclosure from the government:
“How much public money has been funneled into this private operation for political gain? What contracts exist between the state and the implicated firms?”
Nea Aristera (New Left) further denounced the Truth Team as a modern form of “para-state structure”, pointing to its alleged access to real-time police surveillance tools, such as drone footage during protests in Nea Smyrni in 2021.
They emphasized that this is not about “volunteer activists,” but rather a well-funded enterprise supported by government resources and powerful stakeholders.
The Democracy Movement went further, calling it a “dark funding network” designed to manipulate public opinion, with Blue Skies at its center.
“How is it institutionally acceptable that key government communication personnel also work for private firms contracted by the state?”
They demanded answers about the source of the company’s revenue — reportedly exceeding half a million euros annually in payroll expenses — and called on Parliament and independent watchdogs to investigate potential conflicts of interest and the instrumentalization of public money for party propaganda.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Mitsotakis continues to reject the criticisms, insisting on the independence of the judiciary and his personal commitment to truth. However, his assurances ring hollow for many citizens, especially in the wake of unresolved scandals such as the Tempi train disaster and the ongoing wiretapping affair.
Despite the political fatigue, public discontent appears to be reaching a boiling point. Mass protests, such as those that erupted after Tempi, and plummeting poll numbers reflect a growing sense that citizens are no longer willing to tolerate systemic abuse of power — even if a viable political alternative remains elusive.
As the Truth Team scandal unfolds, a new wave of scrutiny bears down on the Mitsotakis administration, calling into question the ethical boundaries of governance, the role of public institutions, and the very state of democracy in Greece.
Ποια είναι η εταιρεία που στεγάζει κεντρικά πρόσωπα του μηχανισμού προπαγάνδας της ΝΔ | inside story
Αυτές οι μαφιόζικες πρακτικές της Νέας Δημοκρατίας του Κυριάκου Μητσοτάκη δεν είναι δυνατόν να είναι αποδεκτές! Στρατιές πληρωμένων τρολ, επαγγελματίες δολοφόνοι χαρακτήρων στο διαδίκτυο, κορυφαία γαλάζια στελέχη και στο βάθος εμπλοκή Ιταλών! Η Ελληνική Λύση θα τους «ξεμπαζώσει»… pic.twitter.com/46Ym2iwzxx
— Κυριάκος Βελόπουλος (@velopky) April 11, 2025
«Θα μας πληρώνετε ξανά» έπρεπε να γράφει. pic.twitter.com/JjxEhdTEOf
— Nikos Moraitis (@Nikosmoraitis) April 12, 2025
Όταν το Μαξίμου και οι φίλοι του συντηρούν μηχανισμούς τρολ και παραπληροφόρησης | in.gr
Αυτή η κυβέρνηση Μητσοτάκη με τις υποκλοπές και τα bots δολοφονίας δικαίωσε τον Όργουελ | in.gr
Βγήκαν όλα τα φασιστοειδή να υπερασπιστούν την Ομάδα Αλήθειας με το αφελές επιχείρημα «τι κακό κάνει, παίρνει δηλώσεις και τις δείχνει».
— Nikos Moraitis (@Nikosmoraitis) April 12, 2025
Αυτή είναι η βιτρίνα.
Πίσω από τις δηλώσεις πολιτικών αντιπάλων τους που μοντάρουν κατά το δοκούν, πληρώνουν -με κρατικό χρήμα όπως…
Αμείλικτα ερωτήματα για τον γαλάζιο μηχανισμό προπαγάνδας με συντονιστή την Ομάδα Αλήθειας | in.gr
