Greek Mafia and the Government: connecting the dots

Dear Member,

This is our weekly round-up from Greece.

All defendants in the 'Greek Mafia' trial are 'innocent,' the court concluded this week just two days after new significant evidence came to light, revealing that top police officers were in direct contact with gangsters. The court concluded without taking into account this evidence.

There were also four other significant developments indicative of how the Rule of Law is upheld (or not upheld) in this country. SYRIZA tried to pressure the government responsible for consecutive scandals and announced they would abstain from all parliamentary votes until elections. The decision came after the court ruling for the Greek Mafia trial and a new report on PM Mitsotakis's sister's family being wiretapped.

The Greek government has opened a new front with actors by downgrading their Drama School degrees to equal to High School diplomas. Artists took to the streets, bringing the issue to the EU Commission, but the whole thing seems to be triggered by the government's dogma of 'business as usual.'