Another attempt to appoint a new Greek Ombudsman has reached an impasse, as the candidate proposed by House Speaker Kostas Tasoulas failed to secure the required 3/5 majority in the Parliamentary Presidents’ Conference. Currently, Andreas Pottakis remains head of the Independent Authority, despite his term expiring approximately 2.5 years ago.

The Speaker had nominated Professor Dimitris Sotiropoulos, with indications of agreement from PASOK and SYRIZA. However, opposition representatives from these parties argued that Pottakis should first complete his investigation into the Pylos shipwreck before proceeding with his replacement. In response, Tasoulas asserted that he raised the issue of term expiration with the authority and began discussions with other parties before the Pylos investigation began.

Ultimately, Tasoulas’ proposal received 15 votes from New Democracy, while 7 representatives from SYRIZA, PASOK, the Communist Party, and the Spartans abstained, and 7 from Freedom Sailing, Hellenic Solution, Victory, and independent representatives voted against it.