Christos Lambrakis: Press baron who used his empire to wield influence in Greece for more than half a century
KALAMOS BOOKS
Christos Lambrakis: Press baron who used his empire to wield influence
in Greece for more than half a century
Monday, 4 January 2010
Christos Lambrakis was invariably known as the Citizen Kane of Greece,
the Patriarch of Greek media, the dark centre of diaploki (interwoven
interests) and as a champion of democracy and patron of the arts. For
over half a century he had eyes and ears throughout Greek society and
was credited with making and breaking governments, yet hardly anything
was written about him. He inspired fear, deference and admiration in
equal measure. Until his death, a Google search under his name
provided only a handful of superficial results. The only work about
him published in Athens, in 1982, disappeared from bookshops the
following day and its editor was advised not to pursue the matter. He
complied but kept a single copy in his run-down office.
Christos Lambrakis was born in 1934 in Athens to a rising media
empire, the Lambrakis Media Group or DOL, founded in 1922 by his
father, Dimitri. In the 1950s he studied in London at the London
School of Economics and throughout his life regularly returned out of
passion for the city's theatre and opera.
In 1957, his father died and Christos took over the Group, namely the
respected dailies Ta Nea and To Vima. By the time he was 30 he had
established himself as the rainmaker of Greek politics. Eventually he
commanded 20 per cent of the Greek readership, with three top-selling
dailies, 24 weeklies and monthlies ranging from financial and
political journals to family, sports and wedding magazines, and he
also held influential stakes in television and publishing.
Like many democratic figures in Greece he suffered imprisonment in
1968 as a potentially hostile editor against the ruling military
Junta. Unlike some other newspapers, such as Kathimerini, which closed
shop in protest at the censorship laws, he kept publishing and the
Group received loans from the Junta for the construction and housing
of a new printing plant. In 1999 he went into electronic media,
followed by e-commerce. The company went public in 1998 with Lambrakis
retaining overall control.
It was recognised that once you worked for his Group you were tied for
life because in a country that functions through connections this was
the best in town. Over the years, many DOL journalists and editors
went into politics. Three became Prime Ministers and dozens became
ministers, often walking out of DOL straight into the ministry. More
became MPs or MEPs. By chance or foresight, DOL men walked into
ministries when lucrative government contracts were at hand;
confidential state documents seemed easily accessible to him or to his
chosen journalists. He kept an exclusive circle of leading figures
from the most powerful party in Greece, PASOK, and of tried and tested
editors and political commentators of Ta Nea and To Vima. On the eve
of every general election they met to chat about forthcoming events.
But unlike most of them, he was legendary for walking to work
unprotected and driving his Volkswagen Beetle.
The number and quality of his titles could hardly be justified by
usually average sales; the explanation lies in political connections.
His travel agency, Travel Plan, had offices inside the Foreign
Ministry; it was responsible for all the ministry's travel
arrangements. Nothing went unnoticed. In this respect, DOL's
self-description was apt: "the largest and most influential Company
Group in Greece".
In 1994 his name was floated as a potential presidential candidate.
This might have turned him into a Greek Berlusconi, but he never
shared the Italian's appetite for publicity. He knew that
international exposure implied international scrutiny.
His greatest love was music. It took a man of his stature to sweep
aside petty political squabbles and rally round him big wallets to
provide Athens with a world class Concert Hall, the Megaro Mousikis.
He did the same in Thessaloniki, as well as supporting smaller
projects in other parts of Greece.
As with the Greek empire of Alexander the Great, his death may herald
the division and demise of his own. But his impact will survive, if
only through his non-profit Lambrakis Research Foundation. He never
married.
Constantine Buhayer
Christos Lambrakis, businessman: born Athens 24 February 1934; died
Athens 21 December 2009.
--
June Samaras
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