Editing Costas Simitis (section)

===Controversy and criticism===
In 1996, the appointment of the PASOK-leaning ''[[To Vima]]'' newspaper editor, Stavros Psycharis, as political administrator of [[Mount Athos]] was particularly criticized by the opposition.<ref>Eleftherotypia, [http://archive.enet.gr/1996/11/19/on-line/keimena/politiko/pol6.htm Psycho, To tris examartein] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929105212/http://archive.enet.gr/1996/11/19/on-line/keimena/politiko/pol6.htm |date=29 September 2007 }}, 19 November 1996</ref>

====Siemens bribery scandal====
{{See also |Corruption in Greece}}
A significant issue during Simitis' tenure concerned [[corruption]], which became endemic in Greek public life (including the [[Siemens Greek bribery scandal]], incidents like [[Akis Tsochatzopoulos]], who later was imprisoned for criminal actions for the purchase of the German type 214 submarines) etc.

Siemens CEO Michalis Christoforakos testified that during his trial in Germany, he bribed (2%) both the two major political parties, ND and PASOK (through Geitonas and Tsoukatos, partner of Kostas Simitis). According to Tsoukatos, the money was put in PASOK's cash desk.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://www.kathimerini.gr/1009936/article/epikairothta/politikh/siemens-fortismenh-apologia-tsoykatoy|title=Siemens: φορτισμένη απολογία Τσουκάτου{{!}} Kathimerini|website=www.kathimerini.gr|date=14 February 2019 |access-date=2019-02-18}}</ref> As of 2018, Simitis was under prosecutor investigation regarding the Siemens Greek bribery scandal, but was later exonerated.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.kathimerini.gr/politics/995061/anoigoyn-toys-logariasmoys-simiti/|title=Ανοίγουν τους λογαριασμούς Σημίτη &#124; Η ΚΑΘΗΜΕΡΙΝΗ|first=Ιωάννα|last=Μάνδρου|date=14 November 2018 }}</ref>

==== Validity of statistical data====
[[File:Konstantinos Simitis 2012-01-23.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Simitis in 2012]]
New Democracy revised the size of the [[Defense spending|defense expenditures]] for the years 1997-2003 by changing the regulation for the [[cost accounting]] of the [[Defense spending|defense expenditures]] from the date of delivery of war material (delivery basis), which was at the time followed by half the countries of the EU, to the payment date of the advance payments (cash basis). Eurostat accepted the change, because of the lack of reliable data for the deliveries of war material.<ref>[http://tovima.dolnet.gr/printarticle.php?e=baf=1471am=D02&aa=1 To Vima] 12 March 2006 {{Dead link|date=July 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> By the revision of the 1999 defense expenditures, the deficit of 1999, the year of the Greek economy's evaluation, amounted to 3.1%. Since 2005, Eurostat changed its rules and records the defense expenditures according to the delivery date for all the countries of the EU, including Greece. Eurostat requested that the member countries to correct their data retroactively. Greece did not proceed to the rectification.{{citation needed|date=August 2018}}

The deficit of 1999, year of the Greek economy's evaluation, is still presented to be 3.1% of the Gross National product (GNP), greater than the Maastricht criterion for a deficit lower than 3% of the GNP. Subsequent revisions of the data show also other countries exceeding the fiscal deficit (government deficit) of 3% during the evaluation period. Thus, in 1997, which is the year of the evaluation of the first countries that became members of the Euro zone, the deficit of France was 3.3%, of Spain 3.4% and of Portugal 3.4%.<ref>[http://ec.europa.eu/economy-finance/emu-history/documents/pdf/5pd EMU History] europa.eu {{dead link|date=May 2024|bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://ec.europa.eu/economy_finance/publications/european_economy/2012/pdf/2012-11-07-stat-annex_en.pdf | title=Statistical Annex of European Economy - Autumn 2012| date=12 October 2012 | publisher=European Commission | access-date=2014-03-21 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171221011313/https://ec.europa.eu/economy_finance/publications/european_economy/2012/pdf/2012-11-07-stat-annex_en.pdf |archive-date=21 December 2017 }}</ref>

====Other====
Other points of criticism included the [[1999 Greek stock market crash]] in the [[Athens Exchange]], such as his handling on the [[Abdullah Öcalan]]'s capture and the [[Imia/Kardak|Imia incident]] regarding the foreign relations with Turkey.

Simitis rejected New Democracy's bills for accountability and transparency with regards to governmental expenditure and decisions,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/greek/news/031125_vouli.shtml|title="Όχι" στην πρόταση της ΝΔ για τη διαφάνεια &#124; BBC Greek|website=www.bbc.co.uk}}</ref> while New Democracy leader [[Kostas Karamanlis]] accused Simitis during a parliamentary plenum of being an "archpriest of [[cronyism]]", referencing the index of the NGO [[Transparency International]]. However, Greece's position has fallen by five places{{Citation needed|date=March 2008}} in the same index during the New Democracy government (2004-2009). Four years later Karamanlis himself admitted that he exaggerated and that he never doubted Simitis' personal integrity.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://news.kathimerini.gr/4dcgi/_w_articles_politics_100070_02/09/2007_239755|title=kathimerini.gr &#124; Αποφασισμένος για μεταρρυθμίσεις (II)|date=28 September 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928092250/http://news.kathimerini.gr/4dcgi/_w_articles_politics_100070_02/09/2007_239755|archive-date=28 September 2011}}</ref>