Though founded on the intention of bringing peace through economic stability, the EU project seeks legitimacy through the values it claims to promote – values that on paper are democratic and seek to safeguard civil freedoms with the protection of strong institutions.
Whilst it's widely accepted that there will be some gap between ideals and reality, it is the role of institutions to make this as small as possible. The system fails when weak points are actively exploited and positions of power are abused to act with impunity. In too many cases, we never know the full extent of malfeasance and the spirit of transgression remains rooted in the institutional architecture.
This is currently happening in Greece, where the spyware scandal has exposed how the government used (still uses?) Pegasus spyware and illegal Predator software to infiltrate the devices of opposition party members and their families. Alarmingly, the reaction has been muted and the scale of the crisis downplayed. One political target likened the paranoia to the Stasi and deplored the inaction from EU institutions.
Though MEPs will discuss the affair in a plenary meeting of the European Parliament, there is a sense that measures are bound to be ineffective and the rule of law in Greece allowed to slide further. Already there is division within the political groups as to whether to keep rank for fear of exacerbating the situation. Greece will hold elections soon but the prospects are grim. Last year it fell a scary 38 places to 108th on the World Press Freedom Index.
By what means and to what ends information is gathered is the shadier side of many administrations. But whilst this might be presented as "in the national interest" when directed overseas, this argument does not apply when the most advanced methods of intrusion known to man are turned on elected opponents.
Depressingly, "Greek Watergate" may not be career-ending for Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, with the country also crippled by inflation and an ever-fragile economy. Will the EU let it pass?
Let @Orlando_tbt know.
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