Greek and Cypriot lawmakers have launched a cross-party appeal to prevent the closure of the Greek-language service of Germany's international broadcaster, Deutsche Welle. In a joint letter to members of the Bundestag, Greek MPs Tasos Chatzivasileiou and Filippos Fortomas, Cypriot MP Haris Georgiades, and Marian Wendt, head of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in Greece and Cyprus, call for a political review of the planned termination of the service from 1 January 2027.
The signatories urge German parliamentarians to exercise their legislative powers to have the decision reconsidered and reversed. The Greek MPs also raised the issue directly with the President of the Bundestag and with CDU ministers and MPs during last week's CDU conference.
In their letter, they note that Deutsche Welle's Greek service has operated since 1964, earning distinction for its independent, reliable, and European-oriented journalism. For decades, it has served audiences in Greece and Cyprus, as well as the sizeable Greek diaspora in Germany. They argue that its presence has contributed to access to free information during critical historical periods and has become a reference point for trust in objective reporting.
The closure, they stress, would weaken a long-standing channel of communication and dialogue. At a time of heightened geopolitical tensions and the spread of disinformation, they argue, the strong presence of European media in the Eastern Mediterranean is particularly important. "The termination of the Greek language programme of Deutsche Welle undermines and weakens everything we have built together," the letter concludes.
