Greece: Controversy over ERT featuring former Golden Dawn member

The Greek public broadcaster, ERT, is facing intense criticism following the appearance of Panagiotis Iliopoulos on an informative program. Iliopoulos, a former member of the Golden Dawn political party, was presented as a “club founder” and a “victim of fraud” involving the NGO “Paidiki Chara.”

Critics, including SYRIZA MP Elena Akrita, have condemned the broadcaster for failing to mention Iliopoulos’s prior conviction for involvement in a criminal organization. Akrita characterized the presentation as a violation of journalistic ethics and called for the resignation of both the news director and the president of ERT.

In response to the backlash, ERT attributed the oversight to the high volume of topics and time constraints, stating that the guest appeared on the program without prior visual contact. The controversy centers on the omission of Iliopoulos’s political background and judicial history during a discussion regarding a scandal involving the NGO.