SYRIZA-Progressive Alliance leader Alexis Tsipras met with EU Commissioner for Values & Transparency Věra Jourová in Brussels on Wednesday.
The European parliament’s Chair of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice & Home Affairs Juan Fernando Lopez Aguilar also attended the Greek main opposition party leader’s meeting with Jourova.
Speaking to reporters afterwards, the main opposition party leader said that he had the opportunity “to express my strong concern over the blows that the rule of law has received in Greece, blows that endanger democracy itself in our country.” He elaborated that the concerns he aired relate to the “big wiretapping scandal and its accompanying scandal of covering up the truth and those responsible behind the tracking of politicians and journalists, and the lack of pluralism in mass media.”
Tsipras also mentioned “the issue of the undermining and the instrumentalization of the judicial system, which has created a big chasm of trust between citizens and the institution of justice in our country.”
Finally, he noted Syriza will do whatever it can to protect democracy and rule of law in Greece. “Wherever that is not feasible within Greece, we will seek it by utilizing European institutions – and every other possibility – so that truth may shine and democracy is restored.”
Jourová
Posting on Twitter, Jourová said that “Ahead of my visit to Athens, I met with Alexis Tsipras in Brussels. We discussed the situation in Greece on the basis of the annual Rule Of Law report, including situation in the media, independence of judiciary and the use of spyware. I will continue these discussions with the government tomorrow.”
SOURCE; ANA-MPA
