Interior minister’s jibe angers doctors

Doctors added their voices Friday to other professional groups criticizing Interior Minister Panayiotis Kouroublis after he suggested in an interview that their protests against pensions reforms were a good thing, as those taking part “need to lose some weight.”

Panhellenic Medical Association chief Michalis Vlastarakos said the comment, made to German newspaper Suddeutsche Zeitung, was insulting. “Nobody expects the interior minister to make such derogatory and provocative remarks,” he said.

Lawyers’ associations also slammed Kouroublis for his remark earlier in the week.

The protests by lawyers, doctors, engineers and other groups against proposed reforms have earned the nickname“necktie revolution” due to the smart clothes worn by some demonstrators.