In late 2011, the Greek finance minister made an impassioned plea for help to save the country from financial ruin. "We need a national collaborative effort: everyone has to carry the burden together," said Evangelos Venizelos, who has since become the leader of the socialist party PASOK. "We need something that is fair and socially acceptable."
It was meant to be a call to arms that ended in •, highlighting a key weakness in Greece's efforts to reform.
The idea of Venizelos was a new tax on real estate levied through electricity bills to make it difficult to avoid. The public was outraged and the press has also highlighted the anger, pointing out that tax as "Haratsi" as he was named a fierce charge from the Ottomans had once imposed on the Greeks. The name stuck and George Papandreou, the prime minister then, he felt obliged to beg voters: "We all lose something, so you do not lose everything."
But I will not lose all of the tax. Two months ago, a man from within the electricity industry has revealed that some of the largest companies in the country, including the media, paid less than half the full rate, or not paying any tax. Nikos Fotopoulos, o President GENOP-PPC, claimed to have been exceptions.
"It was a gift for the real bosses, the real owners of the country," he said. "Rich people do not pay, even at this time."
This time the media made little fuss. "The news has not been covered by the media ... because the owners of the media was among those who benefited," Fotopoulos said later. Leading daily newspapers in Athens either not reported or downgraded allegedly held as a preview to Reuters.
For many observers, the episode illustrates the interplay between politics, big business and powerful media owners. The interrelated interests of these areas, but not necessarily illegally or improperly considered an obstacle to Greece's efforts to rescue the economy. In part, critics say, are responsible for the current crisis and to prevent reform.
Leading media owners in contact with Reuters, declined to exert undue influence or to seek favors, or did not answer the questions.
But given the international impact of the crisis in Greece, it now concerns and other factors beyond the country. A source troika of lenders that maintains life in Greece - the European Union, the International Monetary Fund and the European Central Bank - said: "The system is extremely incestuous. Vested interests resisting the reforms needed to make the economy competitive . "
Opposite sides of the Greek political spectrum speak on the subject in colorful terms. "In Greece, the real power is with the owners of the banks, members of the corrupt political system and corrupt media. This is the triangle of sin," said Alexis Tsipras, SYRIZA leader of the Opposition.
Panos Glowing, leader of the right-wing Independent Greeks, said: "The Greek media are under the control of people dependent on the state. Media control the state and the state controlled media.'s A picture of mutual blackmail. '
Others are more measured. Asked about the 'Haratsi', Venizelos acknowledged that some "blatant cases paying less tax or no", but blamed it on the poor records kept by public power company. "In any case there was no discrimination in favor of certain property owners," he said.
Simos Kedikoglou, the government spokesman, said officials attending the property tax and any errors will be corrected.
Previous attempts to reduce potential conflicts of interest - particularly in the media - had little effect, according to a European Commission report on media freedom and independence, which was published in December 2011. He said the Greek media, "remained highly centralized in the hands of the government," and that "fully affected, albeit opaque and informal ways, from powerful economic and business interests have sought to increase their power, profit , or both. "
The rise of private media
The interaction between politicians and the media are common in many European countries, mainly in Italy, where Silvio Berlusconi was both Prime Minister and head of a group of media, and the United Kingdom, where media owners like Rupert Murdoch, chairman of News Corp, had contacts with successive prime ministers.
However, critics say that these connections are especially important in Greece, because the state plays a large role in the economy, and because of the way the media have been developed there.
Private radio stations and TV channels appeared only in the 1980, after decades of state control of the media. As entrepreneurs rushed into the fray, the configuration was random. Successive governments allow broadcasters to operate without proper authorization, according to the EU report in 2011 on the Greek media. This semi-organized approach led Greece has a large number of media for the population of 11 million.
In 2009 the country had 39 national daily newspapers, 23 national Sunday newspapers and 14 national weekly newspapers, according to an earlier study of EU media. Per capita, Greece has much more national headlines than, say, Germany or the United Kingdom. The country also has nine national television stations, six of which are privately owned, and many private radio stations.
A cable report of 2006 by the U.S. Embassy in Athens, taken from Wikileaks, said: "How can all these media to operate profitably? Can. Subsidized by their owners, who, while they would welcome any Revenue from sales of media, using the media primarily the political and economic influence. "
Simultaneously, a large part of the economy outside of the shipping industry depends on government contracts or licenses. "Most companies in Greece actually expect to get money from the state," said Theodore Roussopoulos, former press secretary of the government. "Greece is officially capitalist, socialist but in reality."
Media owner John Alafouzos told Reuters that some of the media "are the Press Enterprise group." The Alafouzos, whose family owns SKY TV, the fifth largest station in Greece, Kathimerini, a leading newspaper, adds: "It has evolved into a completely unhealthy situation. The purpose of the media is largely performance specific tasks for their owners. "
The Alafouzos, whose wealth comes from shipping, said the family was careful to not depend on the transactions of government. His critics say that SKY was among the companies that were not paying any hike - an omission SKAI argues that caused by the local bureaucracy - and that the media interests benefit from government advertising. The Alafouzos described the latter as a minimum percentage of revenue for media interests.
Family Ties
A matrix of interlocking interests is MEGA Channel, the largest television station in Greece, which is co-owned by entrepreneurs who are leaders or have strong linkages with other sectors of the economy.
The largest collective participation in the television station owned by members of the family of George Bobola. One of his sons, Photios, is director of the telex, the holding company of the channel. Another son, Leonidas, is CEO and principal shareholder of Postbank, a construction giant founded by his father, and has participated in several billion contract with the state. Leonidas has no involvement in the telex.
The family also controls Bobola Nation, a popular daily and Sunday newspaper, other print media and websites. From the large, gray headquarters of the publishing company at Halandri, a northern suburb of Athens, the area of family interests is obvious. Nearby is the ring-road of Athens, built by an international consortium which includes the Ellaktor. Alongside the road is a new rail line to the airport, also built with the participation Bobola.
George Bobolas initially did not answer questions about the various interests of his family. Instead, the newspaper Ethnos published several articles in the days after Reuters had submitted questions. One claimed that the Reuters continues, it seems to be aimed at our country, the Greek economy and entrepreneurship. Another described by Reuters as "the fifth column" for the troika and argued that Athens was flooded by foreigners who had "undertaken the demolition of public persons in accordance with the Anglo-Saxon practices."
After an additional request by Reuters, the Bobolas stated in a letter: "I have never used the media owned by companies in which I participate, to promote the interests of the parent company ELLAKTOR SA ... The Nation newspaper ever has used its influence, or seek favors from rulers in favor of Postbank. "
The Bobolas said that former prime ministers could verify that he had never asked any favors and adds: "You could say that the severe criticism of the newspaper Ethnos on government actions and policy in general, could be regarded as an obstacle and did not contribute to corporate interests Ellaktor. "
In a written statement, the construction company Ellaktor said that subsidiaries are involved in private and public markets, and seeking public contracts "by participating exclusively in open international competitions, according to the Greek and European legislation."
Other factors involved in MEGA Channel include the family of Vardis Vardinoyannis, which is prominent in the oil and shipping, and Stavros Psycharis, who controls the company DOL media.
Vardinoyannis George, son of Vardis, serves the MEGA Channel, and the family also has a smaller station called Star Channel. The family is also the majority shareholder in Motor Oil Hellas, one of the two Greek refining companies.
In an email, one family spokesman, said: "Most companies pays us based abroad or have an international exposure. Production and sales of refinery Motor Oil Hellas, the greater our investment in Greece is firmly oriented at 70 % export ... None of our companies are not based in any way on government contracts or undertakings. "
Psycharis whose company DOL issues leading newspapers and has won government contracts in education, culture, travel, and printing, is president of MEGA Channel.
In 2006, sued two investigative journalists who claimed in a radio broadcast that pushed for the sale of Eurofighters to Greece and had used his newspapers to promote the benefits of an agreement. Psycharis denied the allegations. Three years later, after a hearing, the case was dismissed.
The court rejected a request by journalists, but admitted that his newspaper Psychari had campaigned for the agreement of the Eurofighter. The appeal is pending. Psycharis not responded to questions about the case.
In late November one of the newspapers criticized Apostolos Kaklamanis, former Speaker of the Hellenic Parliament, who had told PASOK lawmakers that the time when oligarchs "appoint the leader of the party" had passed. Days after the Kaklamanis spoke bluntly,
Step, a leading newspaper controlled by Psychari published an article referring to his comments and promised to make supposedly embarrassing revelations about Kaklamanis. Psycharis not responded to questions about his investments in the media or the wider interests.
Critics of ties between the media and businesses also report the case of a gold mine project in Halkidiki, Northern Greece. The mines were sold by the Greek government in 2003, a newly formed Greek mining company. Shortly after, the construction company which has interests Bobola family, acquired a stake in it.
Local opponents fought vigorously against a license for the mining project granted, arguing that it would harm the environment. Tolis Papageorgiou, a leading figure in Greek protest group Mining Watch, argued that newspapers are controlled by the family Bobola omitted major demonstrations opposing the mine and criticized the Environment Minister Tina Birbili, which blocked a permit for it.
"Just a few days in her new job in 2009, became the target of media controlled by Bobola for refusing to grant a license to a mining company," claimed the Papageorgiou.Ligo Birbili after his appointment in 2009, the newspapers owned Bobola family dubbed the "Green Tina" and criticized her performance. The reports said that had prevented many kinds of development. The articles have not mentioned that the owners of newspapers had an interest in the family trade or mine construction.
In his letter to Reuters, the Bobolas said that the Nation strongly supports large-scale projects that create jobs and help the country recover from the economic crisis. The Birbili, which declined to comment on this article, was fired in June 2011. The license to operate the mine was then. Once adopted, the construction company Ellaktor, according to its annual accounts, earned € 261 million from selling off partly and partly revised participation in a Canadian company that had previously bought 95 percent of the mine.
Former Deputy Prime Minister of the Greek era, said the dismissal Birbili not associated with the mine. Former environment minister approved the license, George Papaconstantinou, said that "the decision was solely based on the environmental impact assessment", which was positive for the mine.
In his letter to Reuters, the Bobolas said that the only connection to his family's mine is his indirect involvement with his son less than a 1% rate.
TWO HATS
In the media, potential conflicts of interest may arise even at low levels. Hidden inside the headquarters in Athens, the Union of journalists, the IFJ, is a list of its members who work for the government, for example in press offices. Tens wear half hat as a newspaper once.
The European Union rules prohibit its members to work for organizations that cover as journalists. In an effort to expose those who violate the rule, the Union received the list of journalists employed by the government in 2005. But never dimosiefthike.Kapoioi than those named on the list complained. Greek officials felt that the publication of the list would violate privacy.
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