The Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras and the Deputy Premier Evangelos Venizelos met on Saturday at the Maximos Mansion and discussed, among other issues, the fact that the members of the Greek Parliament must be reduced from 300 to 250.
Both Mr. Samaras and Mr. Venizelos are known to support that a drop to the number of MPs is necessary. The government strongly believes that opening this issue to public debate just a few months before the EU and the Greek local elections could re-attract the disinterested and frustrated Greek voters to the political process.
Discussions over the reduction of MP’s have been in the political scene for a decade now. However, no progress has been made on the matter. Greece ’s government plans on publishing a series of proposals on the matter, including the idea of a 50-member senate that should be created, before May’s elections.
New Democracy and PASOK’s leaders also consider a change in the voting system which will no longer include electoral districts but just one nationwide vote so that the Greek people are able to vote for no more than four candidates of their choice.
The Parliament and more specifically 180 MPs, as things stand for the moment, should give the green light for the electoral system to change. Legal advisors of the Greek Ministry of Interior are already seeking a way for a simple majority to be able to approve the electoral system’s change. If so, the government could manage an approval for its plan as it possesses 153 seats.
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