Greek parliament fails to elect data protection authority head as PASOK abstains

A session that ended without a result

The Conference of Presidents of the Greek parliament met on Friday, 13 November, with a single item on its agenda: choosing a new head of the Data Protection Authority (ΑΠΔΠΧ). Speaker Nikitas Kaklamanis proposed Alkis Dervitsiotis, a professor of constitutional law at Democritus University of Thrace. The Constitution and the chamber's rules require a three-fifths majority of the conference for the appointment, and the proposal fell short of it. Only New Democracy voted in favour, PASOK abstained and the other opposition parties voted against, leaving the proposal with 15 votes. The conference will try again at a later session, but the reports do not say when.

PASOK's abstention and its own candidate

PASOK had pushed a different name for the post, Aikaterini Sygkouna, a former vice-president of the Council of State. Party MP Panagiotis Doudonis argued that the session of 30 April, which had been interrupted, should resume, because Sygkouna had the required majority at that point. He said PASOK would not take part in a vote held any other way. Kaklamanis replied that he was entitled to bring any proposal he chose, and he accused the party of dropping a candidate it had backed earlier.

“I am not obliged to bring the same person to every session.”

Kaklamanis told reporters that PASOK 'did not even have the courage to vote against' Dervitsiotis, whom the party had praised six months earlier. He also said it was a pity the session was not broadcast live so that the Greek public could follow it. Government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis also turned his criticism on PASOK after the meeting.

A clash over who props up the majority

The meeting was dominated by a confrontation between Zoe Konstantopoulou, leader of Plefsi Eleftherias, and Doudonis over which opposition party is propping up New Democracy's majority. Konstantopoulou said she had prevented an 'unholy collusion' between New Democracy and PASOK, and that her intervention in the plenary had forced the party to back down. Dimitris Biagkis said the abstention had disproved her prediction that PASOK would vote in favour. Konstantopoulou also claimed that Dervitsiotis sits on the evaluation committee for the doctoral thesis of Lazaros Tsavdaridis, a deputy minister who resigned.

“It seems they are holding you, Mr Doudonis.”

Doudonis answered with a short retort and accused her of a backroom deal, while calling her a crutch of New Democracy. Kaklamanis shouted that everyone should be ashamed and asked whether the proceedings were a session at all.

“I am not afraid of you.”

What comes next

The conference will attempt the appointment again at a later session, and the reports do not give a date. Until a candidate receives the three-fifths majority, the post cannot be filled. The positions on record are a Speaker's proposal for Dervitsiotis backed only by New Democracy, and a PASOK call to resume the April session in order to vote on Sygkouna.