Kostas Arvanitis to Avgi: “The rule of law is a fundamental prerequisite of democracy”
European Parliament (EP) Member and rapporteur of the EP Rule of Law Report, Kostas Arvanitis (GUE/NGL, Greece), warned that the serious decline in the rule of law in Greece is having far-reaching consequences for both democracy and the economy.
Speaking in an interview with the newspaper Avgi, Arvanitis underlined that weaknesses in judicial independence, lack of transparency in public administration, and institutional decay have eroded citizens’ trust in the state. He stressed that no serious investor would commit capital to a country where legal predictability is absent and justice is not delivered swiftly and effectively.
Arvanitis emphasized that the deterioration of the rule of law undermines democratic institutions and hampers economic development, noting that these structural deficiencies pose long-term risks for Greece.
Commenting on the issue, Halit Habipoğlu, President of the Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF), stated that the Western Thrace Turkish community has been directly affected by this decline for many years.
“As Mr. Arvanitis, who represents Greece in the European Parliament, has clearly stated, our country has been experiencing serious problems regarding the rule of law and judicial independence, particularly in recent years,” Habipoğlu said. “Greece ranks among the lowest in Europe in the 2025 Global Rule of Law Index and is heavily criticized in the rule of law reports of both the European Commission and the European Parliament. Instead of taking urgent steps to prevent systematic violations of the rule of law, the government distorts facts, denies existing problems, and seeks to manipulate international public opinion.”
Habipoğlu further highlighted that Greece has failed to implement three rulings of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) concerning associations belonging to the Western Thrace Turkish community in the Bekir Usta and Others group of cases for nearly 18 years. He noted that the country’s highest court, the Supreme Civil and Criminal Court (Areios Pagos), rejected the associations’ appeals with what he described as politically motivated decisions, disregarding ECHR judgments and established case law.
“Greece must urgently and fully implement the ECHR’s decisions concerning our associations and take all necessary measures to protect and strengthen the rule of law, which is an indispensable pillar of democracy,” Habipoğlu concluded.
