This post is part of our special coverage Europe in Crisis.

Shock and awe awaited Greek citizens on Monday January 23, 2012, when Louka Katseli, former minister of labour and social security (2010) and minister of economy, competitiveness and shipping (2009), revealed that she had had only three hours to read the IMF memorandum tackling the country's debt crisis.

Michalis Chrysochoidis, current minister for development, competitiveness and shipping and former minister of citizen protection, admitted on a morning television show interview [el] that he signed the IMF memorandum without having read it at all, arguing that “simply, he had other obligations during that time, as he was fighting against crime”:

Minister Manolis Chrysochoidis. Photo by Flickr user Piazza del Popolo (CC BY 2.0).

News spread quickly on the web reacting to the remarks, including extremely negative comments and derogatory insults from netizens, expressing their disdain for the political system, and mocking the minister's excuse.

Within one to two hours, the case became a world trending topic via the Twitter hashtag #de_diavasa_to_mnimonio_giati (I didn't read the memorandum because…):

@northaura: Now whole twitter “parties” with the “I didn't read the Memorandum” statement of Min. Crysochoidis, in hashtag #De_diavasa_to_mnimonio_giati

Global Voices Author and Editor Asteris Masouras (@asteris) made a Storify collection of various posts, photos and tweets. Below listed are some samples of Greek netizens’ tweets and comments:

@agamemnon_st: Αφού δεν ήταν δουλειά σου να μελετάς το μνημόνιο και τους νόμους, γιατί ήσουν βουλευτής;

George Kallis: den exeis tsipa epanw soy na valeis thylia sto laimo soy !!!! exete katastrepsi olh thn ellada me tis ypografesas

'The Dark Knight returns to fight crime on Athens' mean streets'. Image mocking Minister Chrysochoidis' statement. Photo via Twitpic by @Teacherdude.

@ngeor: #De_diavasa_to_mnimonio_giati I was elected to lead, not to read.

@Ovelikios: Δεν έχω διαβάσει το μνημόνιο αλλά έχω δει την ταινία

@natachef: #de_diavasa_to_mnimonio_giati δεν άνοιγε το attachment.

@Stathisgr: Mnimonio? LoL, Too busy beating protesters

@mpampaki: “Είχα να αντιμετωπίσω το έγκλημα. Ο Ρόμπιν είχε πυρετό κι ο Τζόκερ είχε απαγάγει το γιο του Επιθεωτητη Γκόρντον.”

@nchrysoloras: #De_diavasa_to_mnimonio_giati μόνο ο Τσακ Νόρις έχει διαβάσει το Μνημόνιο

Twitter user @mirsiniloizou posted: "and here, the photo of #didn't_read_memorandum_because". Photo shows "protagonists of the day" Ms. Katseli and Mr. Chrysochoidis.

After the intense criticism, Chrysochoidis published the following Facebook status update (original text in Greek here):

I want to clarify and confirm my point. Yes, I repeat that I didn't read the memorandum. I didn't deal with either the text or the procedures of “supposedly” negotiations. This wasn't declared with pride. Even more, I don;t say this in order to shirk responsibilities. On the contrary. I consider this as one of the biggest errors of my political career; because I appreciated wrongly those critical moments and I was preoccupied with the minor issue, my work as a minister, instead of the major one, my responsibility as a member of the country's leadership. I said that to stress how much everyone has to change. We used to trust every leader, every prime minister; to vote in the Parliament and to agree in the government. Those times belong to the past and this model faded. What is needed is collectivity, personal responsibility and contribution. […]

During last year, the government and members of parliament have been the target of heavy criticism for their acceptance of the IMF memorandum and their inaction against the socio-economic crisis of the country, which has urged many of them to defend their beliefs and political actions.

Another “disclaimer statement” was made on October 2011 by former PASOK MP Thomas Rompopoulos, who argued [el] during a radio show broadcast: “Nobody had the time to read the Memorandum, neither I did nor anybody did; We authorized [Minister for Economy at the time] Papakonstantinou to sign for it. It was a matter of trust”:

In addition to the bold accusations Minister Chrysochoidis himself received, many netizens via social media have also criticized the general political scene, but also the “blindness” of they themselves, who have been conniving with the politicians’ foul actions:

Panagiotis Giannoudis: Ζήτω η Βουλή των Ελλήνων!

@helena_chari: greece doesn't need weapons of mass destruction; it's got its politicians

dangler69: Τελικά το διάβασε και κανένας; Ίσως εκείνοι που διαγράφηκαν.

@Dr_Troy: #De_diavasa_to_mnimonio_giati ” και που με περιγελούν τώρα, αρκετοί απ’ αυτούς θα με ξαναψηφίσουν. Ξεχνάνε γρήγορα, βλέπεις…

@cpil: Ενώ όλοι εσείς, το διαβάσατε το μνημόνιο.

@MilitaryRaiden: Όλοι πέφτουμε από τα σύννεφα με ομολογία ανικανότητος Χρυσοχοΐδη αλλά όχι με τη διατήρηση δικαιώματος ψήφου των ηλιθίων που το εξέλεξαν.

@tgeorgakopoulos: Σσσσ, ακούς; Κάνε ησυχία -ακούς; Είναι ο ήχος 299 εκτυπωτών σε γραφεία βουλευτών. Τυπώνουν το μνημόνιο.

@sVathis: Οι έλληνες ανέκαθεν δεν διάβαζαν user manuals

Finally, during the following day, user Arkoudos concludes bitterly, reflecting the saddest part of Greek economical and social crisis [el]:

@arkoudos: Δεν σας πληρωσα το χαρατσι της ΔΕΗ;Αχχ χιλια συγνωμη,*δεν το ειχα διαβασει*,ειχα παει να ικετευσω για δουλεια,για να εχουμε να φαμε το βραδυ

This post is part of our special coverage Europe in Crisis.