PASOK Spokesperson Accuses PM Mitsotakis of Misleading Public Over Constitutional Revision of Ministerial Immunity
Kostas Tsoukalas, spokesperson for PASOK, accused Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis of misleading citizens about the proposed constitutional changes, particularly the article governing ministerial criminal liability.
Accusation of public deception
PASOK press spokesman Kostas Tsoukalas fired back at Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Sunday, saying the premier's social media post on the constitutional revision process deliberately misrepresents how amendments are adopted. Tsoukalas insisted that it is the revisionary parliament, not the proposing government, that sets the final wording of each article.
The Prime Minister underestimates the intelligence of citizens. Everyone knows that the revisionary Parliament is the one that decides the wording of each article, not the proposing one.
He added that PASOK has already tabled its own proposals and made its stance clear, so the public knows exactly where the party stands when the matter reaches the chamber.
The Article 86 dispute
At the centre of the clash is Article 86, which deals with the criminal liability of ministers. For months the government had promised significant changes, but the proposal now unveiled keeps prosecutorial authority within parliament instead of transferring it to the ordinary courts. A prosecution would still require a roll-call vote and an absolute majority of all MPs.
Tsoukalas described the outcome as a superficial repackaging of the old system.
He was committing for months to a substantial revision of Article 86 and finally proposes to maintain in Parliament the authority to prosecute criminal offenses committed by members of the Government — ministers and deputy ministers — during the exercise of their duties, by a decision of the absolute majority of the total number of MPs, with a roll-call vote. In other words, it's a change in name only.
Government's institutional credibility
Beyond the specific article, PASOK argued that the administration has forfeited the credibility needed to lead a constitutional overhaul. Tsoukalas claimed the government had repeatedly violated the constitution and degraded institutions, making it unfit to act as a reformer now.
Obviously, a government that has belittled institutions and repeatedly violated the Constitution has no capital of credibility. It showed this itself with its proposals.
He added that the same hypocritical attitude is evident across the government's other revision proposals.
PASOK's position and next steps
The main opposition party stressed that genuine constitutional change requires broad political consensus, not just a governing majority. PASOK said it would continue to act with responsibility and reliability, focusing on safeguarding the democratic functioning of the state.
Tsoukalas reiterated that the party will stick to its institutional role when the revision reaches the chamber, and urged a debate based on substance rather than pre-election rhetoric.
