European Parliament Alarmed Over Rule of Law in Greece

On Wednesday, the European Parliament raised the alarm over several worrying developments in Greece threatening the rule of law and called on the Commission to act.

In a resolution adopted with 330 votes in favor, 254 against, and 26 abstentions, MEPs expressed grave concerns about very serious threats to democracy, the rule of law, and fundamental rights in the country.

Regarding media pluralism and the safety of journalists, MEPs have complained about the lack of progress in the investigation of the murder of George Karaivaz in April 2021.

They denounced that journalists are subject to physical threats and verbal attacks (also from high-ranking politicians), violations of their privacy with spyware, and abusive lawsuits, including from the Prime Minister’s entourage.

The European Parliament also has concerns over the independence of the national audiovisual regulatory authority, the concentration of media in the hands of oligarchs, and the distribution of state subsidies.

Wiretapping scandal and the rule of law in Greece

MEPs also condemned the instrumentalization of “national security threats” to wiretap political opponents, including MEPs. In response to the wiretapping scandal, MEPs demanded that democratic safeguards should be strengthened and called for effective investigations with the help of Europol.

They asked for the reversal of legislation that placed the intelligence service under the direct control of the Prime Minister. The resolution voices concerns over the transfer of the investigation to a different prosecutor and political pressure, intimidation, and harassment of officials who are scrutinizing the government.

Parliament also pointed to the excessive use of force by police and the deficient quality of subsequent investigations and court rulings, alleged corruption, the length of judicial proceedings, and possible conflicts of interest, including police infiltration by organized crime.

The treatment of migrants and systematic pushbacks worry MEPs, as do attacks against civil society. This is particularly so with smear campaigns and judicial harassment against human rights activists.

MEPs suspect lack of political impartiality in the parliamentary inquiry into the Tempi train disaster—which caused dozens of deaths in February 2023—and are concerned about the pro-government parliamentary majority’s refusal to conduct an investigation into two former ministers for transport as requested by the EU Public Prosecutor’s Office.

Because of all this, the Parliament calls on the Commission to make full use of the tools available so as to address the breaches of EU values in Greece. This includes, on the one hand, the assessment of EU funds use under the Common Provisions Regulation in line with the Charter of Fundamental Rights and in relation to the non-implementation of judgments by the European courts in line with the Rule of Law Conditionality Regulation.

MEPs have repeatedly raised concerns about the state of media freedom in Greece, based on the Council of Europe’s Safety of Journalists Platform and the World Press Freedom Index. Furthermore, the 2023 Corruption Perceptions Index shows a worrying decline in issues concerning the rule of law.

Related: Greece ‘Worst Performing EU Country’ on Corruption, Media Freedom