The European Parliament (EP) passed a damning resolution against the Greek state on Wednesday regarding the rule of law and freedom of the media in the country.
The disparaging resolution, approved by MEPs from the Socialists, Liberals, Greens, and Left, equates Greece with Viktor Orban’s Hungary concerning the rule of law, press freedom, and individual liberties.
The resolution was approved by 330 MEPs, while 254 voted against it, with 26 MEPs abstaining.
The approval of the resolution highlights MEPs’ concerns about serious threats to democracy, the rule of law, and fundamental rights in Greece.
Freedom of Press
The resolution also highlighted media pluralism in Greece and journalists’ safety, with MEPs denouncing the lack of progress in the case of the murder of Giorgos Karaivaz, a Greek investigative journalist who covered organized crime and was assassinated on 9 April 202 in April 2021.
The document also denounced the fact that journalists faced physical threats and verbal attacks (from high-ranking politicians), breaches of their privacy through surveillance software, and abusive lawsuits, including those from the Prime Minister’s environment, a clear reference to Grigoris Dimitriadis, PM Mitsotakis’s nephew who served as his chief of staff and the head of the country’s secret service.
The European Parliament also voiced concerns about the independence of the national media regulatory authority, media concentration in the hands of oligarchs, and the distribution of state subsidies.
Condemnation for “Predatorgate”
The European Parliament also condemned, through the resolution, the exploitation of “threats to national security” to monitor political opponents, including MEPs.
Regarding the eavesdropping scandal, that became known as “Predatorgate,” MEPs demand that democratic safeguards be reinforced, while also calling for effective investigations with the assistance of Europol.
Finally, the resolution further demands the repeal of the legislation that placed the National Intelligence Service (EYP) under the direct control of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. The resolution expresses concerns about the transfer of the surveillance scandal investigation to a different prosecutor, as well as political pressures, intimidation, and harassment of officials who oversee the government.
