Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has officially launched the dialogue for constitutional reform, calling for “bold structural changes” to modernize Greece’s foundational charter.
In a letter to New Democracy’s Parliamentary Group, the Prime Minister invited lawmakers to submit their views by March to finalize the government’s proposal. “It is time to dare major breakthroughs that will bolster the prestige of our institutions and restore citizen trust,” Mitsotakis stated, speaking from the Maximos Mansion.
Key pillars of proposed constitutional reform
The Prime Minister highlighted several critical areas for intervention:
- Ministerial accountability (Article 86): A long-standing commitment to reform the laws governing the criminal liability of ministers, involving a more decisive role for regular judges
- The judiciary: Increasing the participation of judges in the selection process for the leadership of the Supreme Court to safeguard judicial independence
- Presidential tenure: A proposal to establish a single, non-renewable six-year term for the President of the Republic
- Higher education (Article 16): Removing the “anachronistic monopoly” on higher education to permit the establishment of non-state (private) universities
- Public sector reform: Re-evaluating the concept of “permanent tenure” in the civil service and institutionalizing continuous performance evaluations to combat the “deep state”
Adapting to the 21st century
While acknowledging that the 1975 Constitution has ensured fifty years of political stability, Mitsotakis argued that it remains a document of the 20th century. The proposed revisions aim to address modern challenges, including:
- Artificial intelligence & climate crisis: Introducing constitutional provisions for new technological and environmental realities
- Fiscal discipline: Establishing “safeguards” to guarantee permanent fiscal balance and prevent a return to populist economic policies
- Governmental consistency: Ensuring that party promises are grounded in reality to protect the country from the “disastrous consequences of populism.”
A call for consensus
The Prime Minister emphasized that the process requires broad political agreement. “The Constitution itself mandates that we seek consensus if we truly wish to achieve these major changes,” he noted.
He expressed hope that the reform process would serve as an antidote to the “toxicity and sterile partisanship” that currently defines the political system.