Z. Konstandopoulou’s road map as Greek Parliamentary Speaker

The fiery lawyer isn’t wasting any time setting ground rules for her term

New Parliament Radical Left Coalition (SYRIZA) Speaker Zoi Konstandopoulou, the youngest Speaker to ever hold the post at 39 years, is wasting no time setting the road map of what is to come. She has already made some proposals clear:

* Encouragement and widening of citizen participation with measures aimed at strengthening the participation of representatives of social institutions in the creation of legislation.

* Reinforcement of Parliamentary monitoring from deputies and citizens. She called on Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and ministers to set a “good example” by offering answers to questions set.

* An end to legislative procedures for amendments that are deemed irrelevant to the subject of the actual bill.

* Protecting the dignity and honor of parliamentary employees when faced with demonization tactics.

* She noted that those who have nothing to do with the work at Parliament would need to leave the building, hinting at the use of parliamentary offices by former prime ministers and speakers who have offices there even though they are no longer working at Parliament.

* The investigation of all cases brought to Justice would be hauled and, if necessary, “new bodies” would be created in Parliament to investigate the files.

* The committee for German reparations from the forced loan that Nazis had taken from Greece in World War II would be reformed immediately and seek compensation and return of stolen treasures and antiquities.

* She proposed that Greek Parliament contribute to strengthen demands for the deletion of most of the debt, push for development and do all that is required to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Greece.