Greece, the country synonymous with the birth of democracy, is facing renewed international scrutiny over the condition of its own democratic institutions. According to the latest World Report from Human Rights Watch, the past year has been marked by persistent concerns over press freedom, judicial accountability, civil society space, and the treatment of migrants and vulnerable communities.
At the center of the report is Greece’s continued deterioration in press freedom. For the fourth consecutive year, the country ranks last among European Union member states, a position Human Rights Watch links to intimidation of journalists, abusive lawsuits, and unresolved surveillance scandals.
The report highlights the use of spyware, including the Predator system, against journalists and political figures, noting that despite parliamentary inquiries and international attention, no senior officials have been held accountable. Journalists covering corruption, migration, and government conduct are said to operate in an environment shaped by fear of legal retaliation and monitoring, fostering widespread self-censorship.
Concerns about the rule of law are reinforced by public reaction to the 2023 Tempi train disaster, one of the deadliest accidents in modern Greek history. Human Rights Watch points to the mass protests that followed as evidence of deep mistrust in the justice system and political accountability mechanisms. The report emphasizes that Greece’s constitutional framework, which requires parliamentary approval to prosecute ministers, continues to shield political figures from meaningful criminal investigation, feeding perceptions that responsibility for systemic failures is routinely deflected or delayed.
Civil society organizations and human rights defenders also feature prominently in the report. Aid workers involved in refugee rescue operations remain entangled in prolonged legal proceedings, including high-profile cases accusing humanitarian actors of facilitating illegal migration. Human Rights Watch notes that restrictive NGO registration requirements and proposed legislative changes threaten to further limit the ability of organizations to operate independently, particularly those critical of government migration policies. The cumulative effect, the report suggests, is an increasingly hostile environment for advocacy and dissent.
Migration and asylum policy represents one of the most sharply criticized areas. The report documents Greece’s temporary suspension of asylum access for people arriving by sea, alongside continued allegations of pushbacks at both maritime and land borders. Human Rights Watch references rulings and interim measures from the European Court of Human Rights, as well as findings by UN bodies, which have repeatedly raised concerns over summary returns, lack of due process, and conditions in reception centers. Children, including unaccompanied minors, are reported to have spent extended periods in overcrowded or unsuitable facilities.
The report also draws attention to long-standing discrimination affecting minority communities. Roma populations continue to report abusive policing practices and a lack of effective investigations into allegations of violence.
Gender-based violence remains widespread, with gaps in victim protection and support services. At the same time, recent legal changes affecting LGBTQ+ family rights, including restrictions related to surrogacy access, have prompted criticism from rights groups who argue that equality before the law is being unevenly applied.
While Human Rights Watch acknowledges that Greece maintains democratic institutions, regular elections, and an active public sphere, the report underscores what it describes as a gradual weakening of democratic safeguards.
The convergence of pressure on journalists, limited accountability for those in power, restrictions on civil society, and contested migration practices has, in its assessment, placed Greece at odds with the democratic ideals it has long symbolized.
For a nation whose historical legacy is inseparable from the concept of democracy itself, the findings raise uncomfortable questions — not about Greece’s past, but about the direction in which its democracy is now heading.
Read the entire country report about Greece by Human Rights Watch here.
