Latest news with #GiorgosFloridis
Euractiv
5 days ago
- Politics
- Euractiv
EU stays quiet as Greek top court appointment row deepens
Despite flagging judicial independence concerns in its own report, the European Commission has declined to comment on Greece's latest court appointment controversy Euractiv is part of the Trust Project Sarantis Michalopoulos Euractiv Jul 24, 2025 15:09 2 min. read News Based on facts, either observed and verified directly by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Greek judges are up in arms after the conservative government bypassed their input on Supreme Court appointments. Yet, Brussels remains silent despite flagging rule of law concerns in its annual report on such matters this year. According to the European Commission's 2025 Rule of Law Report, public trust in the Greek justice system remains low, with citizens and businesses consistently believing that the judiciary is politically influenced. At the centre of the dispute lies the process of appointing top judges, which, unlike in other EU countries, remains under the government's complete control. Following a Commission recommendation, the Greek government passed legislation in 2024 enabling judges to express a non-binding opinion on their preferred candidates for senior judicial roles - a move the EU executive welcomed just last month. But earlier this week, the conservative Mitsotakis government disregarded the results of a secret ballot conducted among judges on eight vice-presidential candidates to the Supreme Court, excluding all those endorsed by the judiciary. The Commission, however, has so far refused to comment on the situation. 'We do not comment on individual cases,' a spokesperson told Euractiv, referring to the Rule of Law Report and adding that the Commission will "continue monitoring development". Meanwhile, the Greek Association of Judges and Prosecutors issued a statement accusing the government of trying to preserve its unchecked authority over judicial appointments once again. The judges also said the new law serves no purpose if judicial opinions are ignored. Justice Minister Giorgos Floridis hit back on Wednesday, saying Greece would 'not become a state of judges.' He also warned that judicial autonomy could lead to a system 'that has nothing to do with democracy,' and stressed that nowhere in the world do judges alone select their top officials. Judicial appointment systems vary across the EU. In most member states, governments do not have exclusive control as parliaments and judicial bodies are also involved. In Italy, for example, five of the 15 Constitutional Court judges are appointed by the president, five are elected by parliament, and five come from high courts. In France, top judges are appointed by the president based on proposals from the High Council of the Judiciary, a body composed of judges, legal professionals, and political appointees. In Germany, judges of the Federal Constitutional Court are elected by a two-thirds majority in both houses of parliament, ensuring broad political consensus. (cs, de)
Libya Review
19-07-2025
- Politics
- Libya Review
Greek Minister Accuses Libya of Directing Migrants Towards Greece
Greece's Minister of Justice, Giorgos Floridis, has accused the Libyan authorities of deliberately directing waves of migrants toward southern Greece, warning that the strategy mirrors past tactics used by Turkey at the Greek-Turkish border. Floridis said in recent remarks that 'Libya appears to be adopting Turkey's playbook by using migrants as tools of pressure against Greece.' He warned that this escalation poses a serious threat to regional stability and security in the eastern Mediterranean. According to the minister, Greek coastal and border authorities have recorded a sharp increase in irregular migration attempts originating from Libya's western coast, particularly toward the Peloponnese and other parts of southern Greece. 'These are not random incidents,' Floridis claimed. 'This is an organized and deliberate attempt to destabilize Greece and test European border defenses.' A Broader Trend of Political Exploitation The Justice Minister's remarks come amid heightened tensions in the Mediterranean region, where human smuggling networks are reportedly thriving due to weak governance and ongoing conflict in Libya. Floridis called for greater European Union coordination and support to address what he described as 'a hybrid threat involving the instrumentalization of human suffering.' He also reiterated that Greece 'will not be intimidated or manipulated' by such tactics and emphasized that the country will continue to defend its sovereignty and uphold international law. Greek officials have in the past blamed Turkey for similar actions, particularly during the 2020 migrant crisis when thousands of asylum seekers attempted to storm Greece's land and sea borders. Now, the same concerns are being raised about Libya. Tags: Giorgos FloridisGreecelibyamigrants
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Greece will ban having children via surrogacy for single men and male same-sex couples
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Men in Greece will be barred from having children via surrogacy if they are single or in a same-sex relationship, the justice minister said Tuesday, asserting that it's intended to eliminate legal ambiguity over the concept of inability to carry a pregnancy. Giorgos Floridis said the proposed changes will be submitted to parliament soon as part of broader civil code reform. 'We are now clarifying unequivocally that the concept of inability to carry a pregnancy does not refer to an inability arising from one's gender,' Floridis told reporters. 'In other words, a woman may be unable to carry a pregnancy whether she is in a male-female couple, a female same-sex couple or on her own." Greece legalized same-sex marriage last year — the first Orthodox Christian-majority country to do so. The marriage equality law was opposed by Greece's powerful Orthodox Church and conservative groups. Parliament approved civil partnerships for gay couples in 2015. In contrast to growing consensus in support of same-sex marriage, Europe's legal landscape for surrogacy varies widely. Many countries prohibit all forms of the practice or impose restrictions.
Associated Press
01-04-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
Greece will ban having children via surrogacy for single men and male same-sex couples
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Men in Greece will be barred from having children via surrogacy if they are single or in a same-sex relationship, the justice minister said Tuesday, asserting that it's intended to eliminate legal ambiguity over the concept of inability to carry a pregnancy. Giorgos Floridis said the proposed changes will be submitted to parliament soon as part of broader civil code reform. 'We are now clarifying unequivocally that the concept of inability to carry a pregnancy does not refer to an inability arising from one's gender,' Floridis told reporters. 'In other words, a woman may be unable to carry a pregnancy whether she is in a male-female couple, a female same-sex couple or on her own.' Greece legalized same-sex marriage last year — the first Orthodox Christian-majority country to do so. The marriage equality law was opposed by Greece's powerful Orthodox Church and conservative groups. Parliament approved civil partnerships for gay couples in 2015. In contrast to growing consensus in support of same-sex marriage, Europe's legal landscape for surrogacy varies widely. Many countries prohibit all forms of the practice or
