“We need an institutional framework that will shield European citizens both from the arbitrariness of governments and from oligarchs who can access these malicious software at the expense of the public interest, further strengthening their power,” he stressed, among other things .
The president of PASOK – Movement for Change spoke at the Plenary of the European Parliament on Monday evening 12/09 Nikos Androulakisreferring to the surveillance case.
“We need an institutional framework that shields European citizens both from the tyranny of governments and from oligarchs who can access this malicious software at the expense of the public interest, further strengthening their power. I call on the European Parliament and all colleagues to be pioneers in this new fight for the rights and dignity of every European citizen”, Mr. Androulakis emphasized – among other things.
His speech in detail:
Colleagues,
I want to thank the services of the European Parliament, because thanks to them the attempt to trap my mobile phone with the Predator software became known.
As it was later revealed by the investigations of the Communications Regulatory Authority, an independent authority established thanks to our faction, on the same days the National Intelligence Service started monitoring my phone.
A monitoring which, by diabolical coincidence, lasted as long as the election process for the leadership of the Panhellenic Socialist Movement, from September to December 2021, when I was elected President. Their goal is the autonomy of the faction. The Prime Minister also invited me yesterday to go and be informed by the EYP about the formal reasons they were following me. But he is asking me to do something that was made illegal by law of his government. In fact, as we learn, my file was destroyed, on the same day that the Independent Authority was informed of my complaint. Why; The Greek people must learn the truth in a legal and transparent way.
The Prime Minister, as the political head of the secret services, can, according to law 3649 of 2008, lift the secrecy and make known the reason for my surveillance, instead of continuing to poison and divide the Greek people with conspiracy theories.
Also, all the persons who, based on the journalistic investigation, are related to the use of these software must be summoned to the examination committee both in Greece and in the PEGA Committee. We already tried it once but the governing majority rejected it.
I have made it clear from the outset that the case is not a personal matter. It is a matter of transparency and democracy. Secret services should operate within a democratic framework and protect the political system from illegal software, not cover up its use. In democracies no government agency can operate in complete darkness. Privacy must stop where the need for transparency and accountability begins. A new normal cannot be tolerated, where surveillance of politicians, parties, journalists, judges and every ordinary citizen is considered legal in advance. Because that’s exactly what “big brother” is. The heresy of privacy and individual rights in the name of a vague and secret national need We are in a very difficult time for Europe. Authoritarian leaders like Putin and Erdogan are directly undermining our common future and liberal democracy and some unfortunately while condemning them imitate their practices, such as controlling the media, ensnaring political opponents and instrumentalizing justice have no place in the European Join. This is not a European way of life. This is not the rule of law. We need an institutional framework that shields European citizens both from the tyranny of governments and from oligarchs who can access this malicious software at the expense of the public interest, further strengthening their power. I call on the European Parliament and all colleagues to be pioneers in this new fight for the rights and dignity of every European citizen.
Read the News today and get the latest news.
Follow Skai.gr on Google News and be the first to know all the news.
As a seasoned news journalist, I bring a wealth of experience to the field. I’ve worked with world-renowned news organizations, honing my skills as a writer and reporter. Currently, I write for the sports section at News Bulletin 247, where I bring a unique perspective to every story.
