Pavlopoulos slams wiretapping: 'Practices recall dark authoritarian times'

Former Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos issued a sharp condemnation of wiretapping, labeling the practice a serious institutional problem that strikes at the core of democratic functioning. Speaking at the presentation of a book on communication privacy and national security, the former head of state directly addressed the "wiretapping scandal."

Pavlopoulos linked the scandal to a problematic coexistence between the executive branch and parts of the judiciary. He expressed deep concern over the impact of such practices on democratic institutions, warning that they lead to dangerous institutional deviations, particularly when fundamental values like freedom and democracy are challenged.

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Such practices are reminiscent of dark periods of authoritarianism.

"Phenomena of this kind do not only lead to the gradual weakening of institutions but may create conditions reminiscent of dark periods of authoritarianism," Pavlopoulos stated. He cautioned against assuming that such past practices are definitively overcome, emphasizing that these "deviations" erode the foundations of representative democracy. He drew parallels to impersonal forms of power depicted in literature and film, specifically citing Franz Kafka's "The Trial" and "The Castle," as well as Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck's film "The Lives of Others," which portrays state surveillance in 1980s East Berlin.

Pavlopoulos's remarks intensify the public debate surrounding the wiretapping affair, which continues to provoke significant political and institutional reactions in Greece.

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Phenomena of this kind do not only lead to the gradual weakening of institutions but may create conditions reminiscent of dark periods of authoritarianism.