![]() ![]() Migration Latest news, analysis and comment on migration in Europe and beyond.ĭefense Latest news, analysis and comment on defense in Europe and beyond.Ĭontinent Latest news, analysis and comment from POLITICO’s editors and guest writers on the continent.Anne falls behind her younger brothers in the order of succession because male primogeniture served as protocol for the royal family from the Act of Settlement of 1701 up until 2013. Germany Latest news, analysis and comment on German politics and beyond.įrance Latest news, analysis and comment on French politics and beyond.Įlections in Europe Latest news, analysis and comment on elections in Europe and beyond.Ĭoronavirus in Europe The latest news, data and analysis on the world’s pandemic response. Jordi Solé, a Spanish MEP for the Greens, agreed, adding that espionage scandals were not just a matter of national security but of fundamental rights, with elected politicians being targeted because of their positions.īrussels Latest news, analysis and comment from POLITICO’s editors and guest writers in Europe. “This to me is completely unacceptable because democracy and rule of law are at stake,” she said.īricmont called the Commission's response “weak” and said that as the guardian of the treaties, it had an obligation to ensure EU values and the security of citizens were respected. Saskia Bricmont, a Belgian MEP with the Greens party who sits on the European Parliament’s spyware inquiry committee, also known as PEGA, said Greece was now using the same playbook as Poland, Hungary and Spain, by trying to brush the topic under the carpet by playing the national security card. It is common practice for governments under fire for use of spyware like Pegasus to tell EU officials to back off, claiming hacks are lawful.īut European lawmakers are not convinced, pointing out spyware targets included political opponents, not just security threats. ![]() ![]() It is common practice for governments under fire for use of spyware like Pegasus to tell EU officials to back off, claiming hacks are lawful | Kenzo Tribouillard/AFP via Getty Imagesīrussels is struggling to answer a tough - yet familiar - question: How can it prevent intelligence and security services at a national level from violating EU citizens' fundamental rights without treading on governments' strict sovereignty on national security matters? Several Commission officials declined to give details about how the EU executive plans to challenge Athens on the revelations. The Greek saga is being followed closely in Brussels, partly because European Parliament officials are already in the midst of a probe to investigate the use of the Pegasus software that has been the focus of scandals in EU countries including Poland, Hungary and Spain. “We received the reply from the Greek authorities and are looking into it. The Commission is gathering information concerning the reported use of spyware, such as Pegasus/Predator, and the possible interplay between EU data protection rules and the national security framework and we will continue to follow this issue very closely,” he explained. When asked whether the European Commission was satisfied with Greece's response, spokesperson Christian Wigand accepted that national security was Greece's exclusive competence but, like in 't Veld, stressed the need for Athens "to respect EU law and the case law of the European Court of Justice." The publication of Vrailas' letter on August 24 received a riposte from European parliamentarian Sophie in 't Veld, who took to Twitter to tell Vrailas that the Greek spyware scandal was "very much an EU competence." The Dutch MEP complained that the case could involve the contravention of EU laws such as the General Data Protection Regulation - the EU's flagship privacy rulebook - and would also be in the EU's crosshairs for targeting Androulakis, who is a member of the European Parliament. ![]()
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