Constitutional Review: messages of unity and institutional interventions at the Southwestern Democratic Party’s Central Committee

With the debate on the Constitutional Review as well as the intra-party balance, the meeting of the Parliamentary Group of the New Democracy after the speech of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

The MEPs were motivated by three main axes: the institutional armouring of the role of the member, the need for party cohesion ahead of elections and the defence of the government’s work against attacks by the opposition.

First to speak was ND parliamentary representative Dimitris Kairidis, who reportedly left hints to MPs who publicly differentiate themselves without, he said, submitting specific proposals. At the same time, he called for parliamentary group meetings to be held more often and in a more “de-phased” atmosphere, describing them as “the most authentic expression of intra-party democracy.”

Mr. Kairidis also argued that New Democracy under Kyriakos Mitsotakis remains the dominant political force that determines the political agenda, while he reiterated his proposal that the candidate lists should indicate the number of crosses each MP receives.

In the same vein, Giorgos Stylios, who sent a message of rallying and electoral readiness. “In a year from now we will have elections,” he said, stressing that the goal of the New Democracy is a new independent victory with Kyriakos Mitsotakis as prime minister. The MP stressed that the government’s strongest weapon remains “the consistency of words and deeds”, calling on party members to remain united.

The intervention of Makis Voridis, who focused on the role of the MP and on what he said were attempts to disparage the parliamentary function, was of particular interest. The minister left clear barbs against the European Public Prosecutor Laura Covesi, claiming that “the role of the member of parliament is being questioned by an activist judge”.

Mr. Voridis spoke of the “criminalisation of political activity“, noting that MPs cannot be treated as suspects because they receive citizens in their offices or communicate with the public administration con citizens’ issues. “We need definition and a strong message against irresponsible opposition,” he said, while welcoming the prime minister’s position on upgrading the role of the MP.

For his part, Euripides Stylianides focused mainly on the institutional dimension of the Constitutional Review, arguing that the changes promoted by the government are aimed at restoring the principle of checks and balances, but also at the country’s transition “to a modern European institutional environment”.

Thanasis Zembilis also made an intervention with pointed remarks on the functioning of the political system, referring specifically to articles 29, 60 and 81 of the Constitution, posing, he said, the question of “what kind of democracy we want, what kind of parliamentarianism we want and what is the role of the MP”. The MP clearly opposed any proposal to reduce the number of MPs.

At that point, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis intervened, clarifying that the Constitution itself provides for a number of MPs of 200 to 300 and that there is no proposal in the context of the revision to reduce the number of parliamentary seats.