Greek media have called Fredi Bellerin a character with a "dubious past" after the latter proposed Youtuber and Cypriot MEP Phidias Panagiotou for the position of vice-chair of the newly created European Parliament Special Committee "Shield for European Democracy".
The Greek newspaper " Kathimerini " says that Beleri's initiative to support Phidias, whom he calls "a YouTube prankster," has caused strong clashes among Greek MEPs in the European Parliament.
Besides the fact that the only reason Beleri gave for supporting Phidias was the fact that he is Greek from Cyprus, "Kathimerini" points out that the Cypriot MEP has publicly received the support of Elon Musk, who has increasingly been criticized by senior European politicians for interfering in EU policies.
"I chose to support the independent Cypriot MP, Fidias Panayiotou, based solely on his Greek origin and nothing more. Mr. Arvanitis' complexes do not affect me nor do they bother me," declared Beleris.
While MEP Kostas Arvanitis, a member of the left-wing Syriza party, criticized Beleri's support for Panayiotou in "X", saying: "A partnership between New Democracy and the far right in favor of Musk in the European Parliament". He further described Panayiotou as "Musk's representative in the EU and a fanatical supporter of the American tech entrepreneur".
However, it is worth noting that the Greek public's dislike for Phidias, rather than his association with Elon Musk, is thought to be based on Phidias' controversial statements, which acknowledged the reality of the "Turkish occupation of Cyprus", which outraged the Greeks en masse.
The Greek newspaper also highlights the fact that Beleri is sentenced to prison in Albania for vote buying.
New Democracy MEP Eliza Vozemberg intervened, describing Beleri's support for Panayiotou as a "personal choice" that "does not align with the political stance of the New Democracy Eurogroup."
Last year, Fidias Panayiotou sparked outrage in Japan and was forced to apologize after posting a YouTube video showing himself not paying for a train ticket and leaving a five-star hotel without paying for breakfast.