Greek judges are up in arms after the conservative government bypassed their input on Supreme Court appointments. Yet, Brussels remains silent despite flagging rule of law concerns in its annual report on such matters this year.
According to the European Commission’s 2025 Rule of Law Report, public trust in the Greek justice system remains low, with citizens and businesses consistently believing that the judiciary is politically influenced.
At the centre of the dispute lies the process of appointing top judges, which, unlike in other EU countries, remains under the government’s complete control.
Following a Commission recommendation, the Greek government passed legislation in 2024 enabling judges to express a non-binding opinion on their preferred candidates for senior judicial roles – a move the EU executive welcomed just last month.
But earlier this week, the conservative Mitsotakis government disregarded the results of a secret ballot conducted among judges on eight vice-presidential candidates to the Supreme Court, excluding all those endorsed by the judiciary.
The Commission, however, has so far refused to comment on the situation.
“We do not comment on individual cases,” a spokesperson told Euractiv, referring to the Rule of Law Report and adding that the Commission will “continue monitoring development”.
Meanwhile, the Greek Association of Judges and Prosecutors issued a statement accusing the government of trying to preserve its unchecked authority over judicial appointments once again. The judges also said the new law serves no purpose if judicial opinions are ignored.
Justice Minister Giorgos Floridis hit back on Wednesday, saying Greece would “not become a state of judges.”
He also warned that judicial autonomy could lead to a system “that has nothing to do with democracy,” and stressed that nowhere in the world do judges alone select their top officials.
Judicial appointment systems vary across the EU. In most member states, governments do not have exclusive control as parliaments and judicial bodies are also involved.
In Italy, for example, five of the 15 Constitutional Court judges are appointed by the president, five are elected by parliament, and five come from high courts.
In France, top judges are appointed by the president based on proposals from the High Council of the Judiciary, a body composed of judges, legal professionals, and political appointees.
In Germany, judges of the Federal Constitutional Court are elected by a two-thirds majority in both houses of parliament, ensuring broad political consensus.
(cs, de)