The state of the Rule of Law in Greece today

When the prevailing narrative says that “now is not the time” to talk about legality, exceptions tend to become the rule: authoritarianism deepens, rights are systematically violated, and safeguards and oversight mechanisms are undermined (from Trump’s “nearby America” and ICE raids to our own neighbourhoods). In this context, the discussion on legality and the Rule of Law is neither abstract nor theoretical. It is absolutely  timely and deeply political, precisely at a time when rights violations, tolerated arbitrariness and an absence of accountability are framed as “normality.”

In Greece, the erosion of the Rule of Law is long-standing and particularly reflected in cases such as: the surveillance/wiretapping scandal; the deadly Tempi railway crash and the serious indications of a cover-up; the continued de facto policy of violent and forced disappearances of people seeking asylum (push backs); widespread instances of police violence; persistently poor law-making due to overregulation and bad drafting practices; the shrinking of press freedom, SLAPP lawsuits and the concentration of media ownership; opacity and lack of accountability regarding politicians’ asset declarations and gifts; the targeting and criminalisation of civil society; and serious violations of personal data protection.

All of the above are interconnected phenomena that form a coherent pattern of institutional dysfunction and impunity, with severely detrimental consequences for democracy and fundamental rights.

This year, like every year, independent organisations HIAS Greece, Refugee Support Aegean (RSA), Vouliwatch, Greek Council for Refugees (GCR), Hellenic League for Human Rights (HLHR), Homo Digitalis, Reporters United and Solomon have submitted our joint report to the European Commission as part of its annual Rule of Law monitoring. Drawing on documented findings and systematic monitoring, we highlight and denounce the long-standing and systemic weaknesses of the Rule of Law in Greece.

Now, more than ever, at a time when institutions are being discredited, when frustration, delegitimisation and distrust prevail in the eyes of society, and when the narrative that “now is not the time to talk about legality” is used to normalise arbitrariness, now, public debate, vigilance and meaningful social scrutiny are an urgent necessity.

Now is the time to speak about legality, to defend the Rule of Law and democracy, and to demand accountability.

We invite you to the Press Conference which will present the key findings and conclusions of the report.