ABTTF President: “Our country, which became a member of the EU in 1981, continues its attitude of disregarding the principle of the rule of law by persistently not executing three judgments of the European Court of Human Rights regarding the associations of our community for the past 15 years. The truth is plainly obvious. Our country must now abandon excuses and its policies of denial and fully respect the values of the EU, of which it is a member, and the principles of rule of law and democracy.”
Greece was criticised at a plenary session of the European Parliament (EP) by MEPs for not respecting the principle of the rule of law on 17 January 2024.
Intervening in the session, MEP Sophia in’t Veld (Renew Europe, Netherlands) pointed out that the principle of the rule of law is rapidly deteriorating in Greece and that the corrosion of the rule of law has pervaded to all the government sectors and noted that the debate on this should have been held in the EP a long time ago.
Pointing out that the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union (EU) is being systematically violated in Greece, in’t Veld indicated that the EU funding given to Greece should be dependent on the current situation of the rule of law and fundamental rights.
The Members of Parliament belonging to the ruling New Democracy (ND) underscored that this discussion in the Plenary, a few months before the EP elections, is inappropriate and claimed that criticisms about the state of the rule of law in Greece did not reflect the truth.
“Member of Parliament Sophia in’t Veld spoke the complete truth and reality in her criticisms of our country Greece regarding the rule of law. For some reason, our country’s politicians, who are members of the ruling party, including our Prime Minister, feel offended when they hear sincere and accurate criticism from Europe that our country should comply with EU values and standards, and they immediately fall into a psychology of denial. Our country, which became a member of the EU in 1981, continues its attitude of disregarding the principle of the rule of law by persistently not executing three judgments of the European Court of Human Rights regarding the associations of our community for the past 15 years. The truth is plainly obvious. Our country must now abandon excuses and its policies of denial and fully respect the values of the EU, of which it is a member, and the principles of rule of law and democracy”, said Halit Habip Oğlu, President of the Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF).
