17
Jan
2024
Watch
Rule of Law and media freedom in Greece (debate)
Madam President, I think dealing with the weakest shows how strong a rule of law really is. And so that you do not misunderstand me in my criticism of the Greek government, I do not expect the Greek government to make green policies. The Greeks have elected, they have elected a conservative party. But I expect all governments in Europe, including conservatives, to abide by the law, the rule of law and human rights. If you see refugees sentenced in the justice system in trials that last no more than half an hour and they are sentenced to decades of imprisonment without translation, if you see more than 600 people died in the Pylos shipwreck and authorities obscure this and the government doesn't seem to have much interest in enlightenment, if you see that journalists you meet there in Greece are afraid to report on migration, then this is not a conservative policy, but then this is a policy that should be condemned by us. I think it's one thing to want to build walls on the borders. I think it's wrong, but people can find it right. But the other is when we try to build a wall of lies about our own politics. This should have no place in Europe. That is why I would like the government, but also the Commission, to take a different path there and put Greece in the right place.