The Greek government is facing renewed political pressure after a lower criminal court ruled that four businesspeople were guilty in a high-profile wiretapping scandal that has shaken the country. Speaking during Monday’s regular briefing for political correspondents, government spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis sought to downplay the political implications of the ruling, describing it as a first-instance judicial decision that «concerns private individuals» and warning against turning Greece’s political life into «one vast courtroom».
The remarks came in response to a question from the investigative news outlet Documento, which challenged the government’s characterization of the case. The outlet pointed out that the surveillance operation had reportedly targeted not only private citizens but also senior government ministers, the heads of the armed forces, journalists, and numerous figures holding key institutional roles. Asked how such a scandal could reasonably be framed as a matter involving only private individuals, Marinakis argued that the court ruling referred narrowly to the specific case in which four private businesspeople stood trial and were convicted.
According to the government spokesperson, the broader controversy does include a political dimension, one that prompted legislative initiatives and policy decisions that, he said, were acknowledged by the European Commission as important steps toward strengthening the rule of law in Greece. Beyond those political measures, however, Marinakis insisted that the court’s decision dealt exclusively with the individual defendants, imposing penalties that are likely to be reviewed at higher levels of the judiciary, including appellate courts and potentially the Supreme Court.
Marinakis went on to say that while many additional allegations and interpretations continue to circulate, the government has no intention of engaging in what he described as a politicization of the judicial process. Emphasizing that the case is serious, he argued that it is precisely for that reason that responsibility lies with the courts. He referred to an earlier prosecutorial decision at the highest level, which concluded, among other things, that the case should be closed with regard to state officials, a move that opposition parties had previously denounced as a cover-up. The subsequent trial and convictions, he said, represented the continuation of that judicial process, which should be allowed to proceed without political interference.
Pressed further on the possible espionage dimension of the wiretapping affair - a point repeatedly raised by Documento - Marinakis acknowledged that espionage is part of a supplementary investigation ordered by the authorities, but declined to elaborate, citing a lack of detailed information. Once again, he stressed that the matter falls under the exclusive remit of the judiciary and questioned what he described as the «anxiety» of critics who, in his view, appear eager to act as judges themselves despite the existence of a multi-tiered court system, from first instance to the Supreme Court.
Critics, however, argue that the government’s stance amounts to an evasion of political responsibility. By repeatedly invoking judicial independence, they say, the authorities are avoiding clear answers about a surveillance scandal widely described as the most serious since the restoration of democracy in Greece in 1974. The case has fueled public frustration, deepened mistrust in political institutions, and raised enduring concerns about transparency, accountability, and the health of the rule of law in the country.
