Where did the investigation lead us:
In decisions that constitute indirect pre-election funding to mass media, through a 2.6 million euros program for a costly advertising campaign of the Ministry of Health of Mr. Plevris
In the decision of July 2022 of the Deputy Minister of Finance, Mr. Skylakakis determining the amount to the media and the time frame
From the Recovery Fund the 2,728,000 euros, from the National Public Investment Program the 528,000 euros
In a record time of 13 days in August, the assignments to the two companies that will “run” the project
What is the preventive health program “Spyros Doxiadis” and the questions why the citizen’s information was not done directly and inexpensively by the National Public Health Organization (NPHO) via SMS as it happened during the pandemic
By Vasilis Galoupis
On December 7, 2022, the Minister of Health Thanos Plevris organized a press conference on the new strategic plan for Public Health and the “Spyros Doxiadis” program: “As of today, the cervical cancer program is in the process of implementation and there are two other programs for colon cancer and heart diseases.”
However, until a few days before the official announcements, there was intense movement in order to secure a significant amount from the Recovery Fund, with the destination of the money being, through the “Spyros Doxiadis” program, the Mass Media. A move with a pre-election color, reminiscent of the well-known “ Petsas’ funding list” at the beginning of the pandemic crisis, when 19.8 million euros were spent on media for the campaign “We Stay Home”.
The Ministry of Health is now in the foreground. On July 4, 2022, a decision was issued by the Ministry of Finance and the “Special Recovery Fund Coordination Service”, on the subject: “Inclusion of the Project entitled “SUB2. Secondary Prevention” in the Recovery and Resilience Fund”.
The decision was signed by the Deputy Minister of Finance, Theodoros Skylakakis. According to the specific document, it is decided “the inclusion of the Project in the Recovery Fund, which is financed by the European Union – NextGeneration EU”.
The title of the action concerns the implementation of the “Spyros Doxiadis” program and the responsible ministry is the Ministry of Health.
The budget of the proposed project for inclusion in the Public Investment Program amounts to “an amount of €2,728,000, including VAT. This amount comes from the Recovery Fund (€2.2 million), with a contribution from the National Public Investment Programme of €528,000, due to expire on December 31, 2023.
The contracts provide for a contractor who will undertake the creative design and production of audio-visual and other advertising material for the promotion campaign for preventive mammography, as part of the implementation of the “Preventive Medicine” action of the “Fofi Gennimata” Program. Also, a contractor will undertake the design of a media plan for the advertising campaign of the Public Health Prevention Program “Spyros Doxiadis” – Secondary Prevention for the media campaign for 37,200 euros.
The physical and financial material is distributed as follows in separate categories of expenses, namely:
Projection of the project in a) TV (nationwide) 464,380 euros, b) TV (regionally) 186,180 euros, c) Radio (nationwide) 149,800 euros, d) Radio (regionally) 64,200 euros, e) printed press (nationwide) 299,600 euros, f) printed press (regionally) 128,400 euros, g) Websites (nationwide) 593,208 euros, h) Websites (regionally) 254,232 euros.
The total amount attributable to this advertising campaign amounts to 2.140.000 euros (excluding VAT).
The usefulness of the “Spyros Doxiadis” prevention program for Public Health is self-evident and there can be no doubt about it. However, after the initial surprise due to a pandemic in 2020, the Greek state has many modern means now to communicate directly and target citizens with the benefits of similar prevention programs.
Now the vast majority of citizens are registered on the electronic platforms of NPHOD, which now has the know-how and the logistical infrastructure to effectively inform the vast majority of citizens about similar preventive examinations for various types of cancer directly through a simple message. In fact, categorizing when required the recipients of SMS based on gender, age, or history.
Another parameter is that even in these contracts, the media financing terms for the campaign remained largely unclear as to the selection criteria of the media, as was the case with the ” Petsas’ list”
The government, through the Ministry of Health of Plevris, absorbs a significant amount of 2,653,600 euros from the Recovery Fund, but also from the National Public Investment Program, in order to distribute money to the media. This action takes place in a clear pre-election timing, which raises reasonable questions about the feasibility of this initiative, creating reasonable suspicion that it is yet another media manipulation operation.
Whether the money from this campaign has already been given to the media or will be given in the coming months, it remains doubtful whether these sharing lists will be made public.
In their report published in 2021, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) reported on Greece, on the occasion of the “Petsas’ list”:
The Conservative government led by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis granted generous tax breaks to media advertising, but sought, directly or indirectly, to control the flow of information as part of its efforts to tackle both the pandemic and the refugee crisis. The investigative that were critical of the government were either omitted or received a disproportionately small share of the advertising that resulted from a controversial €20 million public information campaign.
On October 13, 2022, the Board of Directors of the National Central Health Procurement Authority met to approve the “Promotion and Information Plan of the Public Health Prevention Program “Spyros Doxiadis”.
According to the minutes, the Board of Directors unanimously decided on the “approval of the communication program, with a total budget of 2,653,600 euros, including VAT, which will be financed by the Recovery Fund through the Ministry of Health”.
Although already for the year 2022 the appropriations of this communication program amounted to 1.9 million euros, according to Skylakakis’ decision, the Minister of Health Plevris did not mention something relevant in the briefing to the press on December 7, in the briefing he made about the prevention plan “Spyros Doxiadis”.
The competitions were completed in record time. On August 18 and 19, the National Central Health Procurement Authority publishes two invitations of interest for the companies that will “run” the awareness-raising campaign. Just 12 days later, on August 31, 2022, the National Central Health Procurement Authority met to decide (unanimously) the awarding of the two tenders to the companies “REPUTATION UNIQUE” for 36,208 euros and “CHOOSE AE OLIKIS EPICOINONIAS” for 35,800 euros.
The second contractor (Choose) will undertake, on the basis of a contract, “the design of a media plan for the advertising campaign of the Public Health Prevention Program “Spyros Doxiadis” – Secondary Prevention in the Media (media plan). The Publicity Plan will have an analysis of the budget, the choice of Media, the timing, and the predicted effectiveness of providing useful information for preventive mammography. ”
This bill with the preventive action “Spyros Doxiadis” was passed during the first lockdown for the pandemic in the spring of 2020. Filed on February 21, 2020, five days before the appearance of the first case of coronavirus in the country. It was voted on March 10 of the same year with New Democracy, the Movement for Change, and the Greek Solution in favor, Syriza and MeRA 25 declaring themselves “present”, while the KKE was against it.
The program “Fofi Gennimata” was announced on October 27, 2021, two days after the death of Fofi Gennimata, president of the Movement for Change (PASOK) by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. It is a special cancer prevention program that will bear her name. On July 10, 2022, began sending SMS to 1.3 million beneficiaries for free preventive mammography. However, there were reactions from the opposition. The accusations were not about the prevention program itself, which the opposition was also positive about, but that the government presented as “its own” something that it was not.
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