As declining press freedom in Greece is already under EU scrutiny, the government is heading toward “Orbanisation”, Giorgos Kyrtsos, an EU lawmaker from the ruling New Democracy party (EPP), said.
The lawmaker’s comment comes in response to the Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ speech at the Greek House, where he described two journalists who unveiled the Novartis scandal as a “gang”.
The scandal saw ten high-ranking politicians from opposition parties indicted over allegedly receiving bribes from the Swiss pharmaceutical giant, Novartis. The politicians denied the claims and said it was politically motivated.
Last month, Kostas Vaxevanis and Ioanna Papadakou, who revealed the Novartis scandal some years before, were accused of involvement in the case and summoned to appear before a Supreme Court special court investigator.
The journalists’ prosecution has triggered the reaction of several EU and global journalist associations.
Vaxevanis faces four charges, including participation in a criminal organisation, breach of duty, and two counts of conspiracy to abuse power.
