Editorial Ta Nea: Crossing the line

The revelations regarding the past surveillance under SYRIZA rule by the National Intelligence Service (EYP) of SYRIZA cadre Stegios Pistsiorlas, the former director of the Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund (TAIPED, “which acts as a strategic partner for the Greek State to attract investments, enhance the Greek economy’s growth potential”) and of Spiros Sagias, when he was secretary of the cabinet under the SYRIZA-ANEL (Independent Greeks) coalition government, highlight the hypocrisy of main opposition SYRIZA, which today is accusing the prime minister of either having known about EYP’s surveillance of the current PASOK leader, Nikos Androulakis, (in which case the PM is lying) or of not knowing, which means he is unable to manage the services that are under his direct jurisdiction.

One could say the same or worse about SYRIZA leader Alexis Tsipras.

Either he was aware of the surveillance of his close associate (photo_, who at the time was in charge of TAIPED , or he did not know, which means that sensitive information was reaching parties that should not have been privy to it.

Whatever occurred, and however it may have happened, instead of answers being offered the questions are multiplying.

How many people are being spied on in this country, directly or indirectly, legally or illegally, whether or not the prime minister is being briefed, and with what procedures?

What happens with the case files once the surveillance has been completed? Are they destroyed or do they circulate in the “market”, with the danger of their reaching “the wrong hands”?

These questions, which are directly linked to personal data privacy, individual rights, and at times to national interests, cannot be circumvented in the name of confidentiality or of classified information.

The work of secret services and the concept of transparency are largely incompatible.

Yet, there is a clear line, which no government is authorised to cross, between that and every citizen, whether or not a politician, having the sense that their privacy can be violated at any time.