The New Democracy party is set to submit its proposal for constitutional revision to Parliament in the coming hours—perhaps even today—officially launching a process that the government describes as one of the most significant institutional reforms in recent years.
The proposal includes amendments to 30–32 articles of the Constitution and represents a synthesis of public statements by Kyriakos Mitsotakis, proposals submitted during internal party consultations by more than 50 New Democracy MPs, as well as recommendations from institutional bodies, representatives of the judiciary, local government, and experts.
The Prime Minister himself has set the tone for the changes, referring to an “ambitious agenda of institutional reforms” rather than technical adjustments. In fact, he has announced that constitutional revision will be a central political issue in the upcoming national elections, so that the proposed changes receive “the clear popular legitimacy required.”
Key provisions of the proposal concern the method of selecting the leadership of the supreme courts, with greater participation by the judiciary, as well as the revision of the article on ministerial responsibility, with the aim of strengthening the role of the judiciary and reducing political interference in the relevant procedures.
The New Democracy rapporteur on the Constitutional Revision Committee, Euripides Stylianidis, has spoken of a “landmark parliamentary process” in which the government and the opposition are not at odds, but rather “the maturity of the entire political system and its ability to build consensus are being put to the test.”
The ruling majority’s proposal is organized into four major sections: the identity provisions that constitute the “Cultural Constitution,” the social provisions of the “Social Constitution,” the institutional changes concerning the functioning of the political system, and the development provisions of the so-called “Economic Constitution.”
The provisions on national identity include constitutional protection of the Greek flag and the Greek language, as well as the introduction of regulations on Artificial Intelligence, with an emphasis on protecting fundamental rights from potential negative applications thereof.
On the social front, proposals include extending compulsory education from 9 to 11 years, revising Article 16 to further liberalize higher education and establish non-state universities, the constitutional enshrinement of intergenerational justice and solidarity, as well as specific provisions for affordable housing. At the same time, references to environmental protection and addressing climate change are strengthened.
Checks and Balances
Particular emphasis is placed on institutional changes, which the New Democracy party links to strengthening the principle of checks and balances. Among other things, the party proposes strengthening internal party democracy, modernizing constitutional provisions regarding the media and the internet, establishing a six-year term for the President of the Republic, introducing rules for holding referendums, and extending absentee voting to the rest of the country.
This framework also includes measures to strengthen parliamentary work, the establishment of a constitutional obligation to adhere to the principles of good lawmaking, the improvement of government operations through a unified government policy plan, as well as changes to the functioning of independent authorities and local government.
The proposed development provisions concern, among other things, the protection of property, the possibility of utilizing abandoned buildings for social purposes, the prohibition of retroactive taxation, the establishment of a stable tax framework for strategic investments, and the constitutional enshrinement of fiscal sustainability.
After the proposal is submitted, the Speaker of the House is expected to ask the parties to appoint their representatives to the Revision Committee. Subsequently, the committee’s leadership will be elected, the parties’ rapporteurs will be appointed, and the processing of the proposals will begin prior to the relevant votes in the Plenary.
The procedure stipulates that a supermajority is required for each provision to be amended in two consecutive terms of the Parliament. If a proposalgarners 180 votes in the current Parliament, it will need 150 votes in the next Revisionary Parliament to finalize the change. Conversely, if it receives at least 150 votes now (the most likely outcome, based on the opposition’s positions to date), then in the next Parliament, following the elections, 180 votes will be required.