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Greeks come to grips with latest scandal
As Greek scandals go, it started as a trivial but titillating tale - a ministry official jumps from his balcony after being blackmailed by an angry lover.
- Reuters
- Published: 23:55 February 11, 2008
Athens: As Greek scandals go, it started as a trivial but titillating tale - a ministry official jumps from his balcony after being blackmailed by an angry lover.
Many Greeks yawned. Few suspected that what would soon be known as the "sex, lies and DVDs scandal" would effectively freeze planned reforms, push the conservative government closer to snap elections, and shake the foundations of Greek society.
"This scandal has shown us what has been happening for years but none of us would publicly admit," said architecture student Victoria Deligianni, 24, sitting at a central Athens cafe. "There is just no progress in this country."
Political analysts say the affair has turned the spotlight on all of Greece's ills - nepotism, widespread corruption in politics and the press, sexism and lack of opportunity for qualified young people with no connections.
Need for a clean-up
It was no secret Greece was in need of a cleanup in 2004, when voters fed up with socialist scandals in the 1990s voted in the conservative New Democracy party.
Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis vowed to "re-launch the state" and end the chronic corruption that had long angered citizens and kept many foreign investors away. He also promised to put in motion the reforms Greece needed to catch up with its European Union partners - in education, social security, health and public services.
Instead, the public has been treated to a series of scandals. In the past year alone, overpriced government bonds were sold to state pension funds and a labour minister was sacked over illegal Indian workers at his country house.
Greece's ranking on the Transparency International corruption watchdog's list has gone from bad to worse, falling to 56th in 2007 - behind countries such as Jordan, Botswana and Costa Rica - from 49th in 2004.
The DVD scandal has overshadowed the government's economic achievements, bringing its popularity to the lowest point since 2004, under 30 percent, a recent poll showed.
According to the Greek press, it started when a young woman slept with her boss, who promised her a permanent ministry job. When he did not deliver, she taped their private meetings in an attempt to blackmail him.
Then she went to Greek media with her DVD. Most sent her away, but one journalist has been accused in the media of making a copy and delivering it to the prime minister's office.
When the DVD made it to Karamanlis's office, the official - Culture Ministry general secretary Christos Zachopoulos, 54 - resigned and then jumped. He is now recovering in hospital.
Prospect of snap polls
A conservative MP was alleged to have acted as a go-between for the journalist and financial authorities. After pressure, he resigned from his parliamentary group, cutting the government's number of seats to 151 in the 300-seat house and raising the spectre of snap elections.
The government has insisted the issue was personal and any wrongdoing should be legally prosecuted.
Opposition parties, however, accuse Karamanlis of trying to obscure his own office's involvement, deflecting his political responsibilities and refusing to shed light on the case.
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