Le Conseil de l’Europe dénonce la passivité de la Grèce face à la corruption
J. Quatremer, Libération
July 12 2010

The Group of States against corruption, a Council of Europe body, has just released a disturbing report on the fight against corruption and the financing of political parties in Greece. It provides the Papandreou government with a raft of measures for dealing with a situation of corruption that is so widespread that it is a cause for concern also for community institutions, which fear that it could derail the financial recovery plan undertaken by Athens. The overall impression – says the report – is that applying the law is problematic, and punishment for corruption is either extremely slow or entirely lacking, which gives an impression of impunity. In particular, the Group of States against corruption believes that the de facto immunity enjoyed by ministers and former government members (despite the many scandals in the last ten years, there has been no request for the authorisation to proceed, because procedures are too complex) is unacceptable, likewise the possibility the government has of suspending or postponing trials for «political questions» and «crimes that risk upsetting the international relations of the State». An urgent request to the Greek government to combine the announced reform of the state with a radical overhaul of the judiciary, which for too long has covered for a nepotist and corrupt administrative system.