Government accept ND conditions over TV law

Pappas to suspend clause, transferring powers back to NCRTV

The Greek government is taking steps to de-escalate tensions caused over the TV license controversy, following its decision to propose Vyron Polydoras as president for the National Council of Television and Radio (NCRTV), Greece’s independent media watchdog. Minister of State Nikos Pappas, who had authored the TV license law, is expected to withdraw article 2A of the bill, which transferred powers from the NCRTV to his Ministry. Vyron Polydoras, a former conservative MP and former Minister, who was proposed by the government over the weekend to assume the post of NCRTV’s head, in its efforts to find common grounds with major opposition party New Democracy (ND), met with the President of the Greek Parliament, Nikos Voutsis, Monday morning and said he would attend the scheduled session of the Council of Presidents of the Parliament later on Monday. Meanwhile, Nikos Pappas said he would suspend article 2A of the controversial TV law, which had been ruled unconstitutional by the country’s supreme administrative court (CoS), thus reverting all powers back to the NCRTV from his Ministry, while also promising to amend the Law in its entirety after the Council of State had published its ruling. These moves clearly indicate the government has accepted the conditions set by ND, so that the parties can reach a form of consent to create the new NCRTV.