Top Greek lawmaker slams axing of Deutsche Welle Greek service

The planned end to the Greek service on January 1, 2027, is "deeply regrettable," he said on Wednesday.

He was particularly critical of the fact that of Deutsche Welle's (DW) 32 foreign-language programmes, only the Greek service is to be completely discontinued.

Kaklamanis recalled the special historical significance of foreign radio stations such as DW when the country was under a military dictatorship from 1967-74.

The scrapping of the Greek service comes amid cost-cutting measures at DW, based in Bonn in western Germany.

The state subsidy for DW is being cut by €10 million ($11.5 million) to €415 million in 2026.

At the same time, DW has incurred additional costs of around €11 million due to salary increases.

In addition to the discontinuation of the Greek service, budgets in other language departments will also be cut, according to a plan first announced in February.

DW, which also has a base in Berlin, has a global audience in more than 30 languages. Its remit is to provide impartial news, promote cultural dialogue and "reflect Germany as a liberal democracy rooted in European culture."