Opposition assails Voridis appointment as Greek constitution review committee convenes
The inaugural session of Greece's parliamentary committee on constitutional revision descended into acrimony on 15 June, with opposition parties condemning the appointment of former minister Makis Voridis as chair and accusing the government of fast-tracking the process.
Election of the chair ignites fury
The first meeting of the cross-party committee tasked with revising the Greek constitution erupted in protest over the selection of Makis Voridis as its president. The ruling New Democracy party installed Voridis in the role, a move opposition lawmakers attacked as provocative. Zoe Konstantopoulou, head of the Course of Freedom party, labelled the decision an "insult to democracy" and an "extreme affront," urging the revelation of two opposition lawmakers who reportedly supported his candidacy in a secret ballot held the previous week.
It is an insult; his election is an extreme affront.
Other parties joined the chorus. SYRIZA MP Giorgos Gavrilos said the appointment showed the prime minister was "trolling" the revision process, while PASOK’s rapporteur Panagiotis Doudonis acknowledged "objections exist regarding your person." The Communist Party (KKE) MP Giannis Giokas condemned what he called "fast-track procedures."
Voridis defends his role and the timeline
Voridis responded calmly, noting that the opposition’s antipathy was clear. He stated he would not investigate who among them voted for him, calling the dispute "unfortunate compared to the magnitude of the task we are undertaking." He proposed three weekly sessions and revealed that committee members waived their special sitting allowance.
The opposition does not like me; that has become clear. You did not vote for me as president; we will not search for the two who did. This is unfortunate in light of the magnitude of the task we are undertaking.
Voridis also left open the possibility that articles proposed by the opposition but not included in New Democracy’s initial plan could be introduced for debate if backed by 50 signatures from the majority, framing it as a goodwill gesture.
Procedural clash over the one-month schedule
A sharp dispute broke out over the committee’s working calendar. The presidency proposed completing sessions within one month, by 15 July, shortening the original two-month deadline set by the plenary for the committee’s report (due 10 August). Giokas of the KKE denounced the schedule as a "truncation of a truncation," arguing it would undermine substantive debate on serious issues. Voridis countered that the timeframe was "more than adequate," citing the precedent of the 2019 revision.
Background of the political storm
Konstantopoulou amplified her criticism in the parliamentary lobby, linking Voridis to multiple ongoing scandals and his past as a youth leader of a party founded by the former dictator Papadopoulos. She accused Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis of choosing a figure "known for his fascist activities and racist views" to lead one of the parliament’s most important committees. Meanwhile, New Democracy rapporteur Evripidis Stylianidis recalled the tense 2019 revision process, noting that despite a highly polarised climate, the committee back then had managed to send 49 articles to the proposing parliament.
- Secret ballot elects Makis Voridis as committee president; two opposition MPs vote in favour.
- Inaugural session explodes over Voridis's appointment and the shortened one-month schedule.
- Target date for committee to conclude sessions and deliver its report.
- Original plenary deadline for submission of the committee report (shortened by the presidency).
What comes next
The committee will now proceed with three meetings a week throughout June into mid-July, after which it will deliver its report to the plenary. The first session underscored a deep chasm between the governing majority and opposition ranks, with consensus on substantive constitutional changes appearing distant.
