Somewhere in the Eurozone, the 86-year-old mother of a statistician could be evicted and her house confiscated because her son told the truth. This can happen when the European political class, for the most part, pretends not to see: He is not interested in a persecution that has been going on for ten years, Because it is used in the wrong country. Probably the main problem Andreas Giorgio, Officer R Athens reveals scope of budget fraud, Must be Greek. The human rights of the same iconic figure in Victor Orban’s Hungary, the radical nationalist Poland or In Belarus under dictator Alexander Lukashenko, perhaps the leaders of the Brussels institutions will talk about it. They will write protests. They will make accusatory speeches.

Return to normal

But in this case, for the most part, they are silent. This is about Greece in 2021, government Kyriakos Mitsotakis rapidly reports in European alveoli. Premier is competent, efficient and politically correct. His party, the Nia Democrats, are the same party that was convicted almost fifteen years ago More fake on a general budget Remember the recent history. But today It became a modern reform party It is very firmly anchored in the European People’s Party – Commission President Ursula von Der Lane – to gain the scope of what the Georgie relationship is: a political case that no one can ignore. He says Courier service: ഞാൻ I applied the rules in doing my job as a statistician, and then I defended that job. I am persecuted for this: I have told a truth that I should not speak.

High treason

Giorgio was an official of the International Monetary Fund who was elected in 2010 to recalculate the amount of Greek deficit and debt after massive fraud in previous years. That was his role for many years as president of Elstat, the Greek Statistical Institute. This has been an ongoing issue ever since Judicial proceedings brought by Elstat employees themselves Before him the offices were controlled. He was tried three times in eight years for treason, An allegation punishable by life imprisonment; In the end, he was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment (with parole) for doing what European law required: an actual review of Greece’s financial statements, without voting among those responsible for their forgery. The latest venture against Giorgio, still in progress, is the strangest: Athens Court of Appeal sentenced him to “simple defamation” Against his predecessor, Nicholas Stroblos. Truth be told, in the opinion of the Greek judges – his mistake was to tarnish the image of the victim. In 2014, Giorgio issued a statement in which he defended the accuracy of his audits, saying the gesture was that in the coming weeks, foreclosure on his mother’s house would be in danger.

In the name of transparency

Stroblos, who was never touched by legal issues after his management’s wrong numbers, can now retaliate strongly against his successor’s property. Two hundred euros increase every day that the sentence passes A public insult would have to be acknowledged in order to discredit the spiraling Giorgio. The judges asked him to publish a withdrawal in the Greek newspaper, requesting an apology and full acceptance of guilt. The appeal filed by the former official in the country’s Supreme Court has been postponed to January 2023 for the first hearing and to the end of that year for any decision. By then the alleged “simple defamation” (i.e. honest) account will have risen to at least 170 thousand euros. Hence the silence of European politicians They are trying to destroy a person who brought to Greece the transparency demanded by Brussels. If this campaign is successful, the message will be strong for all. “Shares are not just me. This also applies to the application of statistical principles in the production and dissemination of official personal data – including the right to defend officially officially confirmed statistics in the face of destructive criticism – says Giorgio.