The five-day debate on the state budget for 2025 begins today at 11:00 a.m. in the plenary session of the Bouliet.

The process is expected to culminate on Sunday, December 15, with interest focusing on the measures the prime minister will announce on banks, the individual clash between PASOK and SYRIZA over who leads the opposition, the final result of the roll call vote and what the parties will vote on defense spending.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis, as reported by Sunday’s “Proto Thema”, is expected to announce new interventions for banks in his main statement on Sunday night, which will also close the budget debate process, aimed at further reducing the commissions that citizens bear in every transaction.

The measures will see a 50% reduction in high commissions while the second set of interventions will increase pressure on financial institutions to “dump” on the market the stock of some 20,000 properties that remain unused, exacerbating the housing crisis.

Immediately after the prime minister’s speech, a roll call open vote will follow, which – by tradition – carries a vote of confidence in the government.

The bill entitled “Ratification of the State Budget for the fiscal year 2025” has already been accepted, by a majority, by the relevant committee of the House of Representatives. The New Democracy voted “for”. “Against”, except for defence spending, voted PASOK-Movement for Change. “SYRIZA-PS, KKE, Hellenic Solution – Kyriakos Velopoulos, New Left and Eleftherias Eleftherias – Zoe Konstantopoulou also voted against. The Democratic Movement “Niki” and the NGO “Spartans” expressed “reservation”.

Under these circumstances, the budget is expected to be voted in principle by the 155 members of the New Democracy, while the independent Lefteris Avgenakis, who comes from the majority, will probably also give a positive vote.

Defence spending

Apart from this, the opposition’s stance on the defense spending budget is also expected with interest, especially in a period of intense geopolitical instability and in a society that is shifting to the right.

Last year, in the 2024 budget, Defense Department spending was approved by a wide majority of 249 MPs. It was voted against by the KKE – which traditionally votes against it – Niki, Plysi Eleftherias and Nea Aristera.

In the current political situation, Alexis Haritsis called on the other “progressive” parties to vote against defense spending, thus limiting the scope for dialogue with SYRIZA and the chances of a possible return of the New Left’s executives to Koumoundourou.