ABTTF President: “The government, mindful that respect for the rule of law and its protection are indispensable elements of the EU, must take the necessary measures without delay to counter this negative trend, which has been clearly expressed in the reports of international institutions and international civil society organisations, and must listen to the voice of the people’’.
According to a Eurobarometer public opinion survey conducted by the European Parliament (EP) in May 2025 across the 27 Member States of the European Union (EU), the vast majority of the Greek public is pessimistic about the direction their country is taking.
The survey results show that 69% of the public believe Greece is on the wrong track, while the figure for the EU is 57%. In contrast, 52% of Greeks say they are optimistic about the future of the EU.
With 73% of the Greek public stating that the EU should prioritise values such as peace, democracy and human rights, they want the EP to play a stronger role.
While the Greek public strongly supports transparency and accountability, 95% advocate that EU funds should only be granted to EU Member States that respect the rule of law, and 66% believe that Greece benefits from EU membership.
‘‘The results of the Eurobarometer public opinion survey reveal the serious decline in democracy and the rule of law in our country Greece, in recent years. Indeed, in our country, almost the entire population is warning the government, which has been seriously criticised due to the OPEKEPE corruption scandal, by linking the granting of EU funds to the condition of respect for the rule of law. Unfortunately, due to the recent succession of legal and corruption scandals in our country, the vast majority of citizens do not trust the government and official institutions and believe that the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary are under threat. The government, which uses strategic cases for political purposes as a means of intimidation, introduces secret voting in the appointment of high court presidents under new legislation, and disregards the recommendations of judges, is systematically violating the rule of law. The government must urgently take the necessary measures against this negative trend, which is clearly stipulated in the reports of international institutions and international civil society organisations, and must listen to the voice of the people, in full awareness that respect for the rule of law and its protection are indispensable to the EU’’, said Halit Habip Oğlu, President of the Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF).
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