Yiannis Pretefteris is on a collision course with the newspaper “Ta Nea” where he writes and the owner company Alter Ego of Evangelos Marinakis. In his article, Yiannis Pretefteris did not merely support the government, but also launched barbs and insinuations regarding the newspaper’s “line”.
Subsequently, another figure, Lefteris Charalampopoulos, the right-hand man of the owner, responds in a sharp manner, calling him “finished” and concludes his article with lines from his… father, Kostas Pretefteris, in case someone did not understand whom he was talking about. Then a statement – “bombshell against Pretefteris” comes from Mrs. Karystianou (the headline is from in.gr), which is prominently featured on the website.
It is certainly noteworthy that the response to Yiannis Pretefteris comes from Lefteris Charalampopoulos. It indicates that the confrontation is not limited to the newspaper “Ta Nea,” but has broader characteristics and more specifically reaches Mega and Alter Ego.
As can be seen from the tone of the articles, the relationship between G. Pretefteris and the Alter Ego Group (which owns Mega as well) seems to be heading towards a final reckoning. Below, we present the relevant documents of a “unpublished war”.
The article by Yiannis Pretefteris
In his article in “TA NEA” titled “Back to Basics,” Yiannis Pretefteris notes that whatever decisions the elected government makes, he also criticizes his own newspaper because “some are outraged by the admission of the legality of the surveillances.”
“Whether they like it or not, the government is the one governing within the framework of the Constitution and laws, as long as it has the confidence of the Parliament. It does not govern with a communal fund, nor ‘with the helper’s hand’… The Justice system, on the other hand, is the one that decides if there is anything suspicious about the wiretaps, who is to blame for the murder of Karayivas, or whether Pispirigkou is guilty. Without asking passersby,” he argues in his article.
He then refers to interests opposed to the government, which use various issues to “fight” it. However, the media group that owns Ta Nea has often criticized government decisions on these specific issues.
“The opposition and various interests that do not like the government wanted to use Covid, the wiretaps, the wildfires, or the trains in order to undermine the government. Good for them,” asserts Yiannis Pretefteris.
However, according to the journalist, “the government has tried on its part to avoid destabilization and naturally turned to the Justice system. Where does one go for a train accident or the fire in Varnava? To UEFA? The Justice system did its job and judged according to the case. Right or wrong, this is how it judged,” he states.
Charalampopoulos’s response to Pretefteris’s article
In his article titled “Back to Class – Some must learn the alphabet of democracy, justice, and journalism from the beginning,” the director of in.gr, Lefteris Charalampopoulos, responds:
“Democracy is not about governing by the political party that simply has the strongest minority in elections with high abstention and which refuses any dialogue not only with the opposition but also with society itself, believing that 150+1 MPs are enough to decide anything they want without any accountability,” he writes characteristically.
As the journalist asserts, “democracy is not ‘after leaving the ballot box, no mistakes are recognized,’ as if citizens after each electoral process are obliged to enter into political hibernation and accept every governmental choice without complaint.”
The director of in.gr harshly criticizes the government “which obviously now has a legitimacy problem” and deconstructs G. Pretefteris. As he notes, “all of this is necessary reminders because indeed some of those who fantasize they are ‘shapers of public opinion’ need to go back to class. To learn the basics. The alphabet of democracy, politics, and justice.
“Only what they do not understand is that they constitute peculiar historical fossils. Their actual impact is increasingly less. Whole generations do not even engage with them. They think they are at the ‘top of the world,’ but in reality, the wind of history has already pushed them to the margins.
In the end, he invokes lines written by Kostas Pretefteris, which are: “Once a thief, twice a thief / three times on his bad day, see – see in the mirror / your mind has taken a ride.”