Greek Prime Minister Urges For Constitutional Reform

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis called for a new Constitution that reflects the needs of the 21st century, arguing that Greece must modernise its institutional framework during a parliamentary debate on constitutional revision.

Addressing Parliament, Mitsotakis said Greece needed a Constitution “that keeps pace with our times” and described the revision process as a responsibility that should rise above party politics. He noted that the debate coincided with the 52nd anniversary of the restoration of democracy in Greece.

The prime minister criticised opposition parties for what he described as a lack of willingness to build consensus, saying constitutional reform requires broad cooperation rather than partisan divisions. He singled out the opposition for either rejecting proposals outright or declining to support reforms despite agreeing with many of them in principle.

Mitsotakis said his government had submitted proposals to revise 33 constitutional articles, covering issues including the expansion of postal voting in national elections, judicial appointments, ministerial accountability, referendums, tax protections and housing.

He argued that Greece should also revisit constitutional provisions governing referendums to avoid repeating what he described as the “farce” of the 2015 referendum. He further proposed constitutional safeguards against the retroactive imposition of taxes and measures to strengthen access to affordable housing.

The prime minister reiterated his long-standing support for lifting the constitutional prohibition on non-state universities, arguing that Greece had lost decades by preventing internationally recognised institutions from operating in the country.

Mitsotakis also proposed reforms to the judicial appointment process by formally requiring the government to select senior judges from candidates nominated by the judiciary itself. He said the change would strengthen judicial independence by reducing links between the executive and judicial branches.

On ministerial accountability, Mitsotakis called for changes to Article 86 of the Constitution. He argued that criminal investigations involving ministers should return to the judiciary rather than leaving Parliament to perform an investigative role. Under his proposal, Parliament would retain only the final vote on whether to prosecute following a recommendation from judicial authorities.

During exchanges with opposition leader Nikos Androulakis, Mitsotakis accused PASOK of repeatedly abstaining on constitutional proposals despite agreeing with many of their objectives. He said the party derived its political identity from opposing his government rather than presenting constructive alternatives.

In his closing remarks, Mitsotakis urged lawmakers to use the constitutional revision process to rebuild public trust in political institutions.

“Today we have the opportunity to respond to many issues and provide our country with a constitutional charter that will return public life to a path of renewal,” he said. “We must show citizens that the political system has the ability to regenerate itself.”

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