“On 7 February 2024, ruling party New Democracy (ND) MP Dimitris Markopoulos ‘insulted and discredited’ journalist Eleni Kalogeropoulos on the broadcast of Action 24 programme ‘Behind the lines’.
During a debate on agriculture, Kalogeropoulos asked Markopoulos about the recent protests of students who were opposing the establishment of private universities. The MP verbally attacked the journalist, stating: “Why are you mad? Why are you interrupting me? You don’t ask questions, you make statements. You are not a journalist, you are a Yusufaki.” Yusufaki is a political slur used by far-right supporters to describe establishment politicians who are deemed too soft on foreign policy with Turkey.
Kalogeropoulos’s co-host, journalist Giorgos Pierros, asked Markopoulos to retract his statement, but the politician continued: “She is not a journalist, she does something else …You are a political figure. You constantly attack all ND MPs who come on the show.” Local journalist union denounced Markopoulos’s vulgar attack on the journalist.”
The incident was recorded as a violation of media freedom by the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR), a Europe-wide initiative to record violations of press freedom. The MFRR, which recorded the incident as a “verbal attack”, “insult” and “defamation”, is a press freedom advocacy mechanism made up of internationally renowned media protection organisations (ARTICLE 19 Europe, EFJ, FPU, ECPMF, IPI και OBCT).
Based on the guarantee of freedom of the press under Article 14 of the Constitution, which is protected in every state under the rule of law, journalists have the right to exercise their profession freely and independently, without censorship or influence, and in this context to ask political and public figures in general the questions they deem necessary to hold the latter accountable.
In this context, the Member of Parliament, Dimitris Markopoulos, as a public figure, must accept criticism from journalists and the media, refraining from verbally attacking them.
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