The war against domestic economic “oligarchies” was officially declared during Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras first official address — as premier — on Sunday in Parliament. He was full of fiery rhetoric and defiance, on the verbal side, with actions by new Greek government now pending in what is billed as a clash with some of Greece’s most entrenched “vested interests.”

His leftist party has for years referred to a “right to the truth”, and in his address, he pointed to a political-law enforcement-media collusion that he plans to demolish.

During his election campaign, SYRIZA candidates and supporters claimed that the majority of media outlets were “pro-austerity”, given that certain media stakeholders are also major state contractors and business owners. This prompted the Radical Left Coalition (SYRIZA) to charge that Greece’s mass media enjoys an “unholy alliance with business interests that sponge off the state.”

Of course, the radical leftist SYRIZA itself operates its own party-owned media, including a low-circulation daily newspaper, Avgi; its own radio station, “Kokkino FM”, and is reportedly branching out into the webTV sphere. All of those outlets operate websites, too, along with the affiliated left.gr

What SYRIZA wants to do:
* Media stakeholders will be forced to pay taxes and licensing fees to the state.
* Greater media monitoring of the suitability and quality of programs.
* Public radio and TV (ERT), shut down by the previous government, will be resurrected.

It remains to be seen who will be doing the “monitoring”, and what the leftist government means by “suitability” and “quality” of programs.