Intervention in the work of the Conference of Presidents of Parliament held in Strasbourg was held by the First Vice President of the Hellenic Parliament Giannis Plakiotakis presenting the necessary actions to preserve democracy, defending free expression and recovering the credibility of the political system.
“Public dialogue is becoming increasingly toxic. Social media, through algorithms that enhance echo chambers, help to strengthen extreme positions and weakening rational political debate. In this environment, it is the responsibility of the parliaments to function as places of meaningful democratic confrontation and to promote legislative initiatives that fight hate speech, without unjustifiably limiting freedom of expression, “Mr. Plakiotakis stressed. At the same time, he noted that free dialogue without free and independent journalism could not exist, so he called on European parliaments to proceed with:
– Legislative shielding of journalists through stricter sanctions on attacks on them.
– Ensuring the economic viability of independent media, as the digital age has overturned traditional information models. It is legitimate to consider forms of public funding, provided that the independence of the media is not at risk.
– Regulation of the activity of large online platforms, so as to promote qualitative information and not enhance mechanisms of spreading false news.
“One of the strongest tools against misinformation and polarization is education. Parliaments can promote national education enhancement strategies in the media literacy so that citizens can develop critical thinking and be able to recognize propaganda and false news (fake news), ”he said elsewhere.
At the same time, Mr. Plakiotakis denounced the efforts of cultivating extreme toxic speech and policy targeting. “They demonstrate contempt for parliament, often coming from extreme political structures, and emphatically remind the danger of our democracy to tolerance for hate speech and tramping in and out of Parliament,” he said to “impose” and “immediate”
In conclusion, the Vice President of the Hellenic Parliament emphasized that “political rhetoric must enhance dialogue and reduce social polarization. Extreme polarization and hate rhetoric weaken democratic cohesion and prevent citizens from participating in political process. They form a political environment that encourages cooperation and respect for different views. “