European parliament concerned over serious threats to EU values in Greece

By Ahmet Gencturk

ATHENS (AA) – The European parliament on Wednesday expressed its concern over serious threats to EU values in Greece.

“In a resolution adopted with 330 votes in favour, 254 against, and 26 abstentions, MEPs express grave concerns about very serious threats to democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights in the country,” the parliament said in a statement.

On media freedom, the parliament condemned physical and verbal threats to journalists, including those from high-ranking politicians, violations of their privacy through spyware, and abusive lawsuits.

In terms of the use of spyware for surveillance, the parliament condemned using "national security threats" to wiretap political opponents, including European lawmakers.

More specifically on the spyware scandal that erupted in the country in the summer of 2022, the parliament has demanded that democratic safeguards be strengthened and that effective investigations be conducted with the assistance of Europol.

The parliament also raised concerns about police use of excessive force, the poor quality of subsequent investigations and court rulings, alleged corruption, the length of judicial proceedings, and potential conflicts of interest, such as police infiltration by organized crime.

Against this background, it said, “The (EU) Commission should make full use of the tools available to address the breaches of EU values in Greece, including assessing the use of EU funds under the Common Provisions Regulation in line with the Charter of Fundamental Rights on the one hand, and in relation to the non-implementation of judgments by the European courts in line with the Rule of Law Conditionality Regulation.”