12th of June, 2013 Solidarity with the Greek people, for democracy and agaisnt the illegal shutdown of public service of ERT
Sir,the Greek Ambassador in Portugal On the 12th of June, Greece woke up without public radio or television services. On the previous day, the 11th, the government imposed, with only a few hours warning, the "shut down" of the ERT (Greek radio and television services), Greece becoming the only member-‐state of the European Union to abolish the public service of broadcasting showing a blunt disregard for democracy. Such measures reflect an unmistakable act of totalitarism, creating an exception state that goes against the basic european principles and ideals and damages the fundamental rights of the Greek people. The public broacasting service is essencial to the Greek people, the Greek democracy and in general, to democracy in Europe. To accept this situation is to accept the premise and the anti-‐democratic threat of blackmail imposed on the media and the freedom of the press. The subscribers send out this letter as a firm condemnation of the Greek`s government decision and a demand for respect of the democratic values sustained by the existence of a public broadcasting service. Only democracy can defend the european peoples against austerity and authoritarism. The undersigned Alexandre Quintanilha (university professor) Alberto Arons de Carvalho (university professor) Alberto Costa (member of parliament) Alberto Martins (member of parliament) Alfredo Maia (journalist, president of Journalist Worker’s Union) Ana Goulart (journalist) Ana Maria Pessoa (professor)