There are serious concerns about Greece’s democratic credentials, with threats to the rule of law, harassment of officials of independent public bodies, and widespread intimidation of journalists, according to a leaked draft mission report by the European Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs.
The report was drafted after the LIBE committee visited Athens on 6-8 March. Even before the report was drafted, mission chief Sophie in ‘t Veld from the centrist Renew Europe group had suggested that the rule of law situation in Greece was precarious.
During the March visit, Greek government officials were not available to meet with the delegation.
The report said that, according to a letter by the Greek Transport Minister Georgios Gerapetritis to LIBE Chair Juan Fernando López-Aguilar, the priority of the country and the government was “dealing with the worst train crash in its history and not in the face of a total lack of political decorum and common sense”.
Formal invitations were sent to President Katerina Sakellaropoulou, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the ministers of justice and of the interior, the Supreme Court prosecutor, the chief of police and the Greek parliament chairman, but received cancellations in response or, in some instances, no formal response at all.
Civil society, media complaints
During the visit, the report said, the delegation discussed with civil society representatives, among other things, the “need to respect and reinforce the independence of some of the national oversight,” the lawsuits and prosecution of journalists, and concerns about the “far-reaching” registration requirements for NGOs.
The delegation also met with journalists to discuss the continuous attacks and pressure faced by the media, including from high-ranking politicians and government officials.
According to the World Press Freedom Index for 2022, Greece ranked the worst among the 27 EU member states.
Journalists explained to visiting EU lawmakers that union members and small independent media outlets had been sounding the alarm about the malfunctioning of safety systems for several years. Despite this, the leaked document said, none of these serious deficits were “adequately featured” in mainstream media.
Serious concerns over rule of law
MEPs also agreed that there were “severe concerns” about “very serious threats” to the rule of law and fundamental rights in Greece, noting that the system of checks and balances, “essential for a robust democracy”, has come under heavy pressure, while the justice system is “extremely” slow and ineffective.
The conclusions also mentioned that media pluralism is under threat as a small number of oligarchs own most media in the country, referencing the problem of under-reporting on certain issues, such as the Tempi train accident.
The report highlighted significant concerns regarding the underfunding, understaffing, and “curtailing of the powers” of officials of independent public bodies, as well as their harassment and intimidation.
These include the Ombudsman, the Data Protection Authority, and the Authority for Communication Security and Privacy. MEPs also stressed that the National Transparency Agency, “does not seem to be effective”, with lingering concerns about its independence.
The report called on the government to immediately lift the restrictions imposed on NGOs and journalists reporting on migration and to support and enhance all initiatives that contribute to transparency on these topics.
[Edited by Zoran Radosavljevic]
Source: euractiv.com
