Yesterday, following a decision of the Greek government, all public TV and radio closed down all broadcasts and around 2500 workers were dismissed as a response to the tough bailout conditions requiring huge cuts in public expenditure.
Yesterday, following a decision of the Greek government, all public TV and radio closed down all broadcasts and around 2500 workers were dismissed as a response to the tough bailout conditions requiring huge cuts in public expenditure.
"The European Commission has clearly stated that they had no part in the closing of ERT. Then it can only be that Mr Samaras is blaming the European Union for his government's decision to close down ERT ", said ALDE President Guy Verhofstadt.
"The Samaras government has so far not made any of the structural reforms necessary to break out of the clientalist system that has been plaguing Greece for too long. Instead of blaming the Commission for reforms it has not asked for, Samaras should concentrate on making the reforms Greece really does need ".
According to the Amsterdam protocol "the system of public broadcasting in the Member States is directly related to the democratic, social and cultural needs of each society and to the need to preserve media pluralism.
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According to ALDE MEP Theodoros Skylakakis (Drasi, Greece): "ERT was not fulfilling its purpose for some time already, it was operating at an immense cost and with a clientelist hiring policy, including those of the current government. The necessary re-launch of the public broadcaster in Greece is undermined by decisions which are contrary to the parliamentary procedures and also by party and clientelist practices that this government pursues, in the whole of the public sector. We need reform but based on sincere motives and democratic principles".
EP rapporteur on the "EU Charter: Standard settings for Media Freedom across the EU", ALDE MEP Renate Weber (PNL, Romania) said: "As stated in my report - adopted last month - public television and radio must be supported as they do have a very important role in our society and democracy. This decision is both arbitrary and abusive, also because the funding was coming from the population of Greece directly, and not from the state budget. I hope that the latest news reports are true and that the government is reconsidering its decision".
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