Journalists in Greece defy order
Source: Agencies |
June 13, 2013, Thursday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
Journalists fired from Greece's state TV and radio refused to leave the broadcaster's headquarters and were continuing Internet programming as the country's conservative-led government faced an acute political crisis nearly a year after taking office.
State TV and radio signals were cut early yesterday, hours after the government closed the Hellenic Broadcasting Corp and fired its 2,500 workers, citing the need to cut "incredible waste." But thousands of protesters remained outside ERT's giant headquarters north of Athens throughout the night as journalists continued a live broadcast, streamed online.
Journalist unions called a 24-hour strike, halting private television news programs, while the government's center-left coalition partners demanded ERT's closure be reversed.
Conservative Prime Minister Antonis Samaras faces stern opposition from his coalition partners - the Socialist Pasok and Democratic Left party - for the decision. The executive order to close ERT must be ratified by parliament within three months but cannot be approved without backing from the minority coalition lawmakers.
Left-wing opposition leader Alexis Tsipras slammed the closure as "illegal" during ERT's online broadcast. "Many times the word 'coup' is used as an exaggeration," he said. "In this case, it is not an exaggeration."
The decision to close ERT was announced during an inspection in Athens by officials from Greece's bailout creditors.
The European Union, the European Central Bank and International Monetary Fund have been pressing the government to start a long-delayed program to fire civil servants.
The surprise closure of ERT is now one of the biggest crises to afflict the three-party coalition government since it was formed nearly a year ago.
Despite tensions over a number of issues, notably related to the austerity measures demanded by Greece's international creditors, the coalition government has surprised many by surviving. It has also been credited with stabilizing the Greek economy and easing the threat of exit from the euro.
Government spokesman Simos Kedikoglou promised on Tuesday to reopen ERT at an unspecified later date.
State TV and radio signals were cut early yesterday, hours after the government closed the Hellenic Broadcasting Corp and fired its 2,500 workers, citing the need to cut "incredible waste." But thousands of protesters remained outside ERT's giant headquarters north of Athens throughout the night as journalists continued a live broadcast, streamed online.
Journalist unions called a 24-hour strike, halting private television news programs, while the government's center-left coalition partners demanded ERT's closure be reversed.
Conservative Prime Minister Antonis Samaras faces stern opposition from his coalition partners - the Socialist Pasok and Democratic Left party - for the decision. The executive order to close ERT must be ratified by parliament within three months but cannot be approved without backing from the minority coalition lawmakers.
Left-wing opposition leader Alexis Tsipras slammed the closure as "illegal" during ERT's online broadcast. "Many times the word 'coup' is used as an exaggeration," he said. "In this case, it is not an exaggeration."
The decision to close ERT was announced during an inspection in Athens by officials from Greece's bailout creditors.
The European Union, the European Central Bank and International Monetary Fund have been pressing the government to start a long-delayed program to fire civil servants.
The surprise closure of ERT is now one of the biggest crises to afflict the three-party coalition government since it was formed nearly a year ago.
Despite tensions over a number of issues, notably related to the austerity measures demanded by Greece's international creditors, the coalition government has surprised many by surviving. It has also been credited with stabilizing the Greek economy and easing the threat of exit from the euro.
Government spokesman Simos Kedikoglou promised on Tuesday to reopen ERT at an unspecified later date.
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