Greece’s government is set to initiate a significant discussion on abolishing permanence in the public sector, a key issue that will be formally raised during the Constitutional Review dialogue commencing in late 2025.
In a recent radio interview, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced that New Democracy will propose a revision of Article 103 of the Constitution, which currently guarantees the permanence of public employees. Notably, when asked if this reform would apply to both existing employees and new hires, Mitsotakis affirmed, “All of them.”
The Prime Minister emphasized a shift in mindset, stating, “I think we have now overcome this era, when public employees feel that they may be threatened by a change of government.” He underscored that permanence should not foster inertia, particularly in cases of identified structural and systemic inadequacy within the public service.
“We have some public employees who systematically refuse to work. That must change,” he said.
Greece’s Mitsotakis on permanence and evaluation in the public sector
The Prime Minister also reiterated the government’s commitment to civil service performance reviews.
“It is inconceivable for a public employee to reject evaluation. There will be sanctions for those who refuse. Evaluation is not optional; it is a fundamental element of any organized administration,” said Mitsotakis.
He said that the evaluation process is already underway and is more rigorous than in the past, employing tools to identify vague or non-specific evaluations and aiming to ensure transparency and accountability.
The PM also pointed to his government’s efforts to reward excellence in the public sector. “For the first time, we have introduced performance bonuses to acknowledge and incentivize high-performing civil servants,” he said.
Polls show support for public sector reforms
The government believes these proposals will resonate positively with a significant portion of the public, aiming to exert political pressure on opposition parties.
A recent Marc survey, published in a Sunday newspaper, revealed strong public support: 88 percent “agree” or “probably agree” with employee evaluation, and 76.2 percent “agree” or “probably agree” with abolishing permanence in the public sector to allow for the removal of underperforming employees.
Beyond the issue of permanence in the public sector, the government’s proposed constitutional revisions include the non-state universities, environmental protection and spatial planning, the criminal liability of ministers, and postal voting.
Mitsotakis has also previously indicated that a single six-year term for the President of the Republic would be discussed.
Need for consensus
According to reports, the government stresses the goal of achieving consensus during the Constitutional Review. Following a meeting with President Konstantinos Tasoulas last week, Mitsotakis remarked:
“Constitutional reviews have always been an opportunity for discussions that were intended to build bridges and not to open new rifts. Precisely because this is what the Constitution itself requires, so I hope that the parties will approach this debate with the required institutional responsibility.”
For any constitutional amendment to pass, a proposal must gather a majority of 180 MPs in the current Parliament to be revised by the next Parliament with 151 “yes” votes. However, articles passed with 151 to 179 votes in the current Parliament require 180 positive votes in the next Parliament.
This electoral dynamic motivates New Democracy to secure more than 180 votes on key issues to facilitate their revision by a subsequent parliamentary body.
Related: Greece Sees Huge Rise in Public Sector
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