Greece’s parliamentary democracy features vigorous competition between political parties, and civil liberties are largely upheld. Ongoing concerns include corruption, government surveillance, discrimination against immigrants and religious and ethnic minority groups, and poor conditions for irregular migrants and asylum seekers.

• In February, Parliament approved legislation that legalized same-sex marriage as well as adoption and parental rights for same-sex couples.
• Elections for the European Parliament in June featured record-low voter turnout of just 41 percent. The ruling center-right New Democracy party placed first with seven of the 21 contested seats, though it lost ground compared with the previous elections, and several smaller opposition parties made gains. The Supreme Court in April had banned the far-right Spartans party from participating, finding that it was effectively controlled by the imprisoned former leader of the outlawed Golden Dawn party.
• In July, the Supreme Court prosecutor closed an investigation into the use of Predator spyware against dozens of prominent people, including journalists, stating that there had been no wrongdoing by any government agencies or officials. Only individuals from private companies involved in the use of the spyware were set to face prosecution. The decision drew strong objections from opposition parties and press freedom groups.
• In a related case in October, a court dismissed a defamation suit filed in 2022 by Grigoris Dimitriadis, a former official in Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’s office, against journalists who reported on his alleged involvement in the spyware scandal. Dimitriadis, who was also the prime minister’s nephew, had been responsible for oversight of the National Intelligence Service. The defamation case was widely denounced as an example of strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs). Separately in July, the suspects on trial for the 2021 murder of organized crime reporter Giorgos Karaivaz were acquitted, stoking concerns about impunity for crimes against journalists in Greece.
• Greek authorities continued to face criticism from human rights groups for their treatment of migrants and asylum seekers. Among other problems, nongovernmental experts noted the widespread use of detention—including for those with no viable prospect for repatriation—and the lack of state-provided legal assistance, which contributed to low rates of appeal against detention and deportation orders. Alleged pushbacks of migrants and asylum seekers who attempted to enter irregularly from Turkey by land and sea also continued to be reported during the year.

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For additional background information, see last year’s full report.