In European politics, it’s open season on conservative governments. Hungary’s been in the crosshairs forever, and Poland got a taste until they switched leaders. Now, Greece is the new kid on the block, facing the EU’s rule of law heat. It’s like a game where conservatives are always on the losing side, and we’re left wondering if it’s less about democracy and more about political games. The plot thickens as the EU’s dealings with these governments stir up questions about their real commitment to democratic principles.
Following Hungary’s conservative administration and Poland until the election of a Europhile prime minister, Greece is now seeing the growing political interference with the EU’s rule of law framework. In a disturbingly similar pattern, a resolution passed by the European Parliament this week chastised the nation and demanded that EU money be stopped.
Greek government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis told reporters on Thursday that the resolution was merely a ploy to hurt the ruling center-right New Democracy party ahead of the June European elections, in response to what appears to be another unjustified left-liberal attack on a conservative government.
The aim is to reduce the prestige of Greece’s success in recent years.
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On Wednesday, the proposal was approved by 330 votes to 254 against and 26 abstentions. The majority of left-wing, liberal, and green MEPs supported the resolution.
The treatment of migrants and human rights organizations, as was to be expected after Greece clamped down on illegal immigration, was among the numerous alleged issues that the European Parliament condemned as posing a threat to the rule of law. These issues included a lack of media freedom, the eavesdropping of political opponents, corruption in the police force, and a lack of transparency.
Again using the power of the purse to bully a member state into conforming to the left-liberal majority ideology, the EU Parliament has demanded that the Commission investigate the potential of suspending the billions of euros in EU subsidies allotted to Greece in light of these alleged offenses.
Speaking about the scandals that the Greek government is allegedly involved in, Anna-Michelle Assimakopoulou, an MEP for the New Democracy, responded to the resolution passed by the European Parliament and told Euronews:
Greece is a democracy, and the Greek people do not believe this tale. Indeed, we face issues similar to those faced by every other member state. However, we are addressing them. Therefore, Parliament ought to use greater caution when raising concerns about the rule of law.
Another MEP named Stelios Kympouropoulos tweeted that the measure “lacks any basis and only aims to hurt Greece for reasons of petty political benefits.”
With left-wing parties fragmented and polling considerably lower, Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ New Democracy has dominated politics since 2019, easily winning reelection in 2023, and looking good to take home roughly 40% of the vote in the upcoming European elections.
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“Greece is a global example of success and reference within the European Union. It is the country with the largest debt reduction, with the highest growth rate, it is the country that increased the minimum wage like no other country. … Socialists, leftists, ecologists and others are forming a bloc to hit the most successful prime minister,” State Minister Makis Voridis said on Thursday.
Notwithstanding the difficulties brought on by the COVID pandemic and the conflict in Ukraine, Greece has had economic success under Prime Minister Mitsotakis’ administration, registering growth rates of 8.3 percent in 2021 and 5.9 percent in 2022 while lowering taxes and increasing earnings.
His tough attitude on immigration, which reduced the number of arrivals to Greece from 75,000 in 2019 to 9,000 in 2021, may also have contributed to his win.
“Why did we win again [in Greece]? We essentially delivered on our commitments. This is all about trust. At the core, trust is maintaining the contract that you signed with citizens when they elect you to power. If you deliver on what you told them you would do, then chances are that they will reward you,” the prime minister told Foreign Policy in an interview in January. He added:
We cut taxes. We deregulated. We grew the economy by unleashing the forces of private entrepreneurship. I think we followed a successful economic policy. We were responsible patriots in the sense that we protected our borders when Turkey tried to instrumentalize migration back in March 2020. We were rather effective in managing migration.
Now that you’re aware of what stirred the EU’s displeasure, it was Greece’s less-than-pro-EU policies that rubbed the European Union the wrong way. Similar to Hungary’s case, which has consistently faced the EU’s criticism solely for its conservative stance, it is once again a scenario of being targeted for ideological reasons.
The European Commission recently launched a legal infringement procedure against Hungary, targeting the ‘Defense of Sovereignty’ law enacted in response to a foreign financing scandal during the 2022 parliamentary election. The law aims to prevent foreign election interference, introducing mechanisms to investigate political candidates and financing organizations. However, the EU argues that it may stifle opposition voices, violating EU rules on freedom of expression, association, and democratic values. The irony lies in that the EU is finalizing its own Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA)-equivalent, the Defense of Democracy package, while accusing Hungary of breaching EU norms.
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Beyond ideological differences, the EU’s interest in Hungary is fueled by revelations of biased funding allocation through the Citizens, Equality, Rights, and Values (CERV) program. This Commission initiative allegedly favored NGOs opposing the Hungarian government, raising concerns about the misuse of EU taxpayers’ money. Brussels strategically employs the “freedom of expression” angle as a marketing strategy, despite acknowledging that the law doesn’t explicitly mention media organizations. The Office for Defense of Sovereignty, created by the law, can scrutinize media finances if there’s suspicion of foreign funding influencing elections.
Brussels cleverly employs the “freedom of expression” angle as a marketing strategy, despite acknowledging that the law doesn’t explicitly mention media organizations. The Office for Defense of Sovereignty, created by the law, can scrutinize the finances of media outlets if there’s suspicion of foreign funding influencing electoral outcomes. Critics argue that if there were no underhanded tactics involved, there would be no cause for concern.
The relentless assault on the Defense of Sovereignty bill raises questions about Hungary’s stance on curbing foreign financing in political campaigns and the EU’s response.
In the EU’s recurring symphony of clamping down on right-wing governments, Hungary has long been their favored melody. Now, adding a new note, Greece finds itself in the crosshairs. Will Greece dance to a different tune, or will it become the latest victim of the EU’s penchant for political discord?
