In 2012 the Golden Sunset party was elected to power in Greece. Its leader, Stavros Papanpadou, ran his party’s election campaign on a fiercely anti-EU and anti-immigration manifesto. In his first week of office, he announced on state television that he intends to rid his country of all “foreign benefit scroungers, criminals and gypsies.” He also introduced new restrictions on press freedom, prohibiting, amongst other things, reporting by the national press of attempts by his party’s militia to remove non-Greek nationals from their homes across the country.
The actions of Golden Sunset alarm several EU Member States. At the 2012 European Summit (which Mr Papanpadou refused to attend), the United Kingdom, France and Germany resolved to take action against the Greek Government. In their view, the Greek Government is in clear breach of its obligations under Articles 2 and 6 TEU. Unfortunately, several Member States are refusing to lend any political support to their efforts to sanction the Greek Government. One Member State described Stavros Papanpadou’s policies on migration and press freedom as “unfortunate domestic issues” that “do not concern the other EU Member States.”
(a) Advise the United Kingdom, French, and German governments on the possibility of taking successful coordinated action under EU law against the Greek Government.
Your answer should identify the correct legal basis for EU intervention. It should also comment on the procedural stages and possible sanctions that may be imposed.
In July 2013, Stavros Papanpadou’s Government passed an Act of Parliament declaring that Greece will leave the European Union on 31 December 2014.
(b) Advise the European Commission on the legality of the Greek Government’s decision to leave the European Union.
Answer both parts (a) and (b).
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