• SYRIZA-Progressive Alliance MEPs bring to the European Commission the indecent characterizations against journalists, the attack on the freedom of the press and the direct intervention in Justice by K. Mitsotakis

• MEPs denounce PM`s provocative intervention: The terms "gang", "free-murder" and "underworld" constitute a direct interference in justice, blatantly violate the presumption of innocence, target independent investigative journalism and directly undermine the rule of law

SYRIZA – Progressive Alliance MEPs, Dimitris Papadimoulis, Kostas Arvanitis, Alexis Georgoulis, Petros Kokkalis and Elena Kountoura submitted a parliamentary question to the European Commission about the indecent characterizations against the journalists who revealed the Novartis scandal, the attack on the freedom of the press and the direct intervention in Justice by the Prime Minister of Greece, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, during his speech in the Greek Parliament.

Specifically, in his speech in the Greek Parliament, on Sunday (January 30th, 2022), during the Greek parliamentary discussion of the motion of censure against the government, Mr. Mitsotakis made unprecedented disparaging and insulting characterizations against the journalists who revealed the Novartis scandal and have been summoned as suspects by the Greek Justice System, using the words "gang", "free murder" and "underworld".

Following this incident, journalists have stated that they will take legal action, while reactions have been provoked even within the Greek ruling party of New Democracy.

The European Commission had already expressed concerns about press freedom in Greece in its 2021 report on the rule of law. According to Reporters Without Borders, Greece ranks 24th among the EU Member States (even lower than Poland), while EU Commission Vice-President Věra Jourová acknowledged that Greece is one of the most problematic countries in terms of press freedom.

At a time when fundamental values of democracy and rule of law are being challenged even by the country`s prime minister, SYRIZA-PA MEPs are asking the European Commission: how does they evaluate the unprecedented statements of the Greek prime minister, whether the Commission intends to ask for explanations and to thoroughly examine the issue in the context of their next report on the rule of law and what measures will they take to stop the unprecedented and ever-escalating degradation of the rule of law in Greece.

Below you can find the full text of the SYRIZA-PA MEPs’ question to the European Committee:

TOPIC: Indecent characterizations against journalists, attack on the freedom of press and direct intervention in Justice by the Prime Minister of Greece

In the Greek Parliament, on Sunday (January 30th, 2022), during the discussion of a motion of censure against the government, the Prime Minister of Greece, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, made unprecedented disparaging and insulting characterizations against the journalists who revealed the Novartis scandal and have been summoned as suspects by the Greek Justice System, using the words "gang", "free-murder" and "underworld". The above characterizations constitute a direct intervention in Justice, openly violate the presumption of innocence (article 6 par. 2 ECHR), once again target independent investigative journalism and directly undermine the rule of law. The persecuted journalists said they would take legal action, and reactions have been provoked even within the Greek ruling party of New Democracy. It is emphasized that the Commission has already expressed strong concerns about press freedom in Greece in its 2021 report on the rule of law. Greece ranks 24th among the EU Member States (even lower than Poland) in the 2021 press freedom index, while EU Commission Vice President, Věra Jourová, acknowledged that Greece is one of the most problematic countries in terms of press freedom.
SYRIZA – PA MEPs ask the European Commission:
How does the Commission assess the institutional violations and the unprecedented statements of the Prime Minister of Greece?
Does they intend to ask for explanations and to thoroughly examine the issue in the context of their next report on the rule of law
What measures will they take to stop the unprecedented and ever-escalating degradation of the rule of law in Greece

SYRIZA – Progressive Alliance MEPs:
Dimitris Papadimoulis
Kostas Arvanitis
Alexis Georgoulis
Petros Kokkalis
Elena Kountoura