In an article “on fire” Politico “burns” the government of Kyriakos Mitsotakis, focusing on three major cases that have shocked Greece, referring to “cover-ups, failed investigations” and the “general sense of impunity”, which sounds the alarm for a malfunctioning judicial system. Greece, the country where offenders go unpunished.
In the nation credited with creating democracy, there’s a growing sense that it is deteriorating.
As he explains, Greece has been hit by a series of scandals that, despite their differences, collectively suggest that justice is faltering and those in power may be either indifferent or directly involved.
“There is a sense of a systematic and concerted effort to downplay certain incidents,” said Andreas Pottakis, Greece’s ombudsman. This fosters “suspicions of an attempted cover-up” and negligence that “could involve political leadership.”
Three major incidents have tested faith in Greece’s judicial system recently. Two involve tragedies: a train crash in February 2023 that killed 57 people and a shipwreck off the Peloponnesian coast that left hundreds of migrants presumed dead. The third is a major spyware scandal implicating the government of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. Last week, a Supreme Court“ prosecutor cleared politicians, police, and intelligence agencies of any wrongdoing.
While these incidents could be seen as typical challenges for any government, their handling has sparked serious concerns. Opposition groups, victims’ families, and independent investigators allege cover-ups, obstruction of witnesses, and the ignoring of critical evidence. Parliamentary investigations have only added to the confusion.
“By creating a misleading impression of a well-functioning democracy, with parliamentary inquiry committees unable to effectively do their work, what’s actually happening often amounts to direct political interference and the neutralization of independent watchdogs,” said Vas Panagiotopoulos of Reporters Without Borders (RSF).
Beyond these headline cases, many Greeks perceive a broader erosion of public standards. There’s been an increase in verbal attacks on journalists by senior politicians, the undermining of independent authorities, allegations of migrant pushbacks, rising police brutality, and threats to civil society and media freedom.
A recent survey by the Eteron Institute marking the 50th anniversary of Greece’s return to democracy revealed that only 29 percent of people trust the judiciary.
In a response to these concerns, Prime Minister Mitsotakis told POLITICO, “I’ve always believed that we need to have faith in the Greek justice system.”
Here’s a closer look at the three key incidents and why they matter.
The Tembi rail crash
On February 22, 2023, Greece experienced its deadliest rail disaster, a head-on collision that claimed 57 lives, many of them students. The tragedy has sparked significant criticism and allegations of state failure, mismanagement, and corruption. There are claims of a cover-up, including obstructing investigations by burying evidence and hastily removing wreckage. Families of the victims have reported that key evidence was mishandled and that proper investigative procedures were not followed, partly due to the impending national elections.
The Greek government has faced scrutiny over its handling of the incident, including dismissing European calls for accountability for former transport ministers accused of misconduct. A parliamentary inquiry into the crash has been criticized for not addressing the immediate issues and instead focusing on broader railway system failures. The case has also seen allegations of media manipulation to shift blame solely to human error. Families and advocates have sought intervention from European bodies to ensure a thorough and transparent investigation.
The spyware scandal
In the summer of 2022, Greece’s “Predatorgate” scandal broke when opposition leader Nikos Androulakis discovered illegal spyware on his phone, revealing that the state spy agency had also monitored him. The scandal expanded as it was found that Predator spyware had targeted dozens of individuals, including ministers, journalists, and businesspeople, and involved illegal software exports to authoritarian regimes.
Two years later, Greek judicial authorities cleared state officials of wrongdoing, a decision criticized by opposition parties. A report confirmed that 28 of 116 targeted phones were under lawful surveillance, but the Supreme Court dismissed this finding and destroyed the relevant files. Investigative journalists revealed that they had been surveilled while reporting on the scandal, raising concerns about state abuses and media freedom.
Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis, a spyware target himself, dismissed the issue, while Prime Minister Mitsotakis claimed to have enacted significant legal reforms to address the problem.
The migrant boat sinking
Politico goes on to cite the migrant boat sinking. In June 2023, a Libyan trawler carrying approximately 750 migrants capsized off the coast of Greece. Of those onboard, 104 were rescued, and 82 bodies were recovered, with the remainder presumed lost.
A year later, international organizations have highlighted that the Greek authorities’ involvement in the incident has not been thoroughly investigated. Politico rightly cites the lack of Justice in the system that has been left to rot to the levels it has by the very political system spanning decades. Where Politico is disingenuous is in the boat sinking example.
What Politico hides is that the boat had set sail for Italy and when approached by the Greek Coast Guard for assistance refused to accept. Executing a rescue by force would have resulted in accusations of Piracy on the part of the Greek Coast Guard.
