European commissioner calls for a ‘wall of protection’ around democratic institutions

The European Union's commissioner for migration, Greece's Dimitris Avramopoulos, on Monday called for measures to protect the country's democratic institutions, following a bomb attack against a major media outlet on Athens's southern coast.

“We have a moral and political responsibility, as a state and as a political system, to raise a wall of protection around our democratic institutions and Greek citizens' right to safety,” Avramopoulos said in an announcement on the early morning attack on the headquarters of Skai TV and radio, and Kathimerini newspaper, among other businesses, on Monday.

The European commissioner condemned the attack, which blew out windows on the building's glass facade but caused no injuries, and expressed his support for the staff, journalists and management.

Describing the attack as part of an “escalating phenomenon” of violence, Avramopoulos said that it is a “threat to our democracy, to freedom of expression, to social unity and to essential public safety.”