Greek president welcomes Europe's new top human rights judge in Athens

President Prokopis Pavlopoulos on Tuesday welcomed the newly elected president of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), judge Linos-Alexandre Sicilianos, who became the first Greek to hold this position on April 1.

The ECHR's role is "vital in safeguarding social rights and the welfare state," Pavlopoulos commented during their meeting at the Presidential Mansion in Athens, adding that this is especially the case today as the rise of the far-right threatens core European structures and principles.

"Inequalities and the collapse of the welfare state" are driving this rise of such extreme forces, Pavlopoulos said, stressing that as Europeans we "need to defend ourselves against these structures."

"The European court faces numerous challenges with regards to the economic crisis and refugee crisis, with cases relating to terrorism, a crisis in institutions and...