Believing that the worst of Greece’s economic crisis is over, Prime Minister Antonis Samaras now is expected to move toward changing the Constitution in a bid to restore confidence in government and politics.
Among the changes he wants reviewed is for parliamentary immunity, the system which now effectively prohibits prosecution against a lawmaker unless the rest of the body agrees to lift it.
That had rarely been invoked until his government began trying to dismantle the neo-Nazi Golden Dawn party by arresting or jailing most of its hierarchy and Members of Parliament on charges of operating a criminal gang.
Samaras, the New Democracy Conservative leader, also wants to set a limit on the time a Prime Minister can serve in office and open party finances to scrutiny.
That comes as his coalition partner, the PASOK Socialists, are under scrutiny for embezzlement after 100 million euros ($138 million) from its treasury can’t be found.
The two parties also owe banks 250 million euros they aren’t paying. Greek political parties, besides taking loans, also draw money from the state coffers but don’t have to account for how they spend it.
Another key reform that the premier could put on the table is the reduction of the number of lawmakers that sit in Greek Parliament from 300 to 250 or 200.
The constitution and parliamentary rules mean that the proposals need to gather the support of at least 50 MPs. Then they will be reviewed by a special parliamentary committee. Once the changes have been agreed, they are then put to two votes in Parliament.
However, the reforms cannot be implemented until the next Parliament sits. This means that national elections, not due until 2016, have to be held first.
Surveys ahead of next month’s critical elections for Greek municipalities and the European Parliament show 50 percent more people don’t care who wins or aren’t interested in politics than support for either New Democracy or its major rival the Coalition of the Radical Left (SYRIZA), a growing level of disaffection and disenfranchisement.
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