Greek governing party suspends Euro MP pending investigation

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greece’s governing center-right New Democracy party has suspended one of its European Parliament members from the party, pending the outcome of an investigation by European authorities into the payment of an assistant. The issue is not related to a corruption scandal involving Qatar. New Democracy said Friday the suspension was ordered by party leader and prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. It said that while the suspension is in place, Maria Spyraki will not be a parliamentary candidate for the party in the next general elections, to be held by mid-2023. Spyraki welcomed the lifting of her immunity, saying the issue concerned the allowance of an assistant who had faced serious personal issues and had been absent from some European Parliament meetings.