Freedom in the World 1998 - Greece

1998 Scores

Status: Free
Freedom Rating: 2.0
Civil Liberties: 3
Political Rights: 1

Overview

In their third year in office, Prime Minister Costas Simitis and his Socialist Party continued their moderate domestic political and economic policies, but suffered setbacks in nationwide municipal elections.

Greek-Turkish relations remained tense throughout the year. In a rare meeting, the two countries' prime ministers pledged to work at NATO to cool tensions, but saw no signs of progress on the issues that divide them. During Greek-Cypriot military exercises in October, Greek and Turkish fighter aircraft engaged in what the U.S. Ambassador to Greece termed "mock dogfights." Also in October, the United States and Greece called for the Greek-Turkish dispute over scores of eastern Mediterranean islands to be submitted to the International Court of Justice.

Greece gained independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1830. The ensuing century brought continued struggle between royalist and republican forces. Occupation by the Axis powers in 1941 was followed by civil war between non-Communist and Communist forces until 1949. Following a 1967 coup that brought a military junta to power, a failed countercoup by Naval officers in 1973, aiming to overthrow the colonels' junta and restore the king, led to the formal deposition of the monarch and the proclamation of a republic. The current constitution, adopted in 1975, provides for a parliamentary system with a largely ceremonial presidency.

Political Rights and Civil Liberties

Greeks can change their government democratically. Voting is compulsory for citizens between the ages of 18 and 70, yet change of voting address is not permitted. As a result, nearly 650,000 people are forced to travel to prior residences to participate in elections.

The judiciary is independent. With the exception of politically related restrictions, the media have substantial freedom. The public prosecutor may press charges against publishers and can seize publications deemed offensive to the president or to religious beliefs. A controversial law bans "unwarranted" publicity for terrorists from the media, including terrorists' proclamations following explosions.

Ninety-eight percent of the population are nominal adherents to Greek Orthodoxy, the state religion. Orthodox bishops have the privilege of granting or denying permission to other faiths to build houses of worship in their jurisdictions. The European Court of Human Rights condemned this practice in 1996. Members of non-Orthodox communities have been barred from entering occupations such as primary school teaching, the military, and the police.

The constitution prohibits proselytizing, and Jehovah's Witnesses have been a target of political and legal persecution. Despite objections from Roman Catholics, Jews, Muslims, and other minorities, national identity cards, which have been required since 1992, continue to list the bearer's religious affiliation.

Western Thrace's Turkish Muslim minority, whose religious rights were guaranteed under the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne, objects to its classification as a "Turkish" rather than "Muslim" minority and to the Greek government's ability to choose its mufti, or Muslim community leader. The country's ethnic Slavic minority, which is not recognized by the state, makes similar objections. Gypsies, who may number as many as 300,000, encounter large-scale discrimination in receiving education and other social benefits.

In June, the parliament abolished Article 19, a discriminatory law that stripped non-ethnic Greeks of their citizenship if they left the country for an extended period. The law primarily affected the 120,000 Muslims in the country's Turkish border areas.

Greeks enjoy freedom of association, and all workers except military personnel and the police have the right to form and join unions, which are linked to political parties, but independent of party and government control.

Greece has a long history of jailing conscientious objectors to military service. In 1997, however, the government passed a new law to allow objectors to perform alternative, civilian service. Amnesty International condemned the measure, however, as "punitive" because it requires objectors to serve twice as long as military conscripts.

Women's groups have begun to organize to seek more equitable child custody and divorce laws, including the creation of a family court.