NEWS

Opposition parties condemn SYRIZA over official’s verbal attack on journalist

Greece’s opposition parties have called on SYRIZA and its Attica Governor Rena Dourou to publicly condemn a leftist councillor after she launched a verbal assault on a journalist via Twitter.

Corina Vasilopoulou, who won a seat on the council at Attica Regional Authority running on the same ticket as Dourou in last year’s local elections, labelled a journalist at financial website Capital.gr a “creditors’ little whore” after his appearance on a TV show on Saturday.

New Democracy, PASOK and To Potami issued statements condemning the comment and calling for Dourou and SYRIZA to take action.

New Democracy claimed some members of SYRIZA are trying to “terrorize journalists,” while To Potami referred to such comments being driven by a “fascist” way of thinking.

There has been no comment from Dourou or SYRIZA on the issue.

Independent Greeks leader Panos Kammenos, who is also defense minister in the coalition government, also made a provocative statement regarding the media recently.

Following a meeting with Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras last month, Kammenos appeared to make reference to Skai TV, which has been targeted by hand grenades and Molotov cocktails in the past.

“Maybe some channels, especially near Piraeus, have not been blown up but the Greek family has been blown up,” he told journalists. “Unemployment is very high and you will have to look at that at some point.”

On Monday, SYRIZA MP Nikos Fylis appeared on Skai TV and advised the channel to “be careful” over its stores regarding irregular migrants after it revealed last week a police document suggesting that all authorities should release any immigrants in detention. This prompted the government to deny it had issued such orders.

“Skai has to be careful,” he said. “We do not want to hear any danger mongering with regard to migrants. I am not referring to specific programs but the general news coverage.”

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