The goal of abolishing the second Sunday in municipal elections is “the genuine legitimisation of authorities through increased voter participation,” Interior Minister Thodoris Livanios stressed, rejecting in the Greek Parliament’s plenary chamber claims that the new electoral system is unconstitutional.

His remarks came during debate on a constitutional objection submitted by PASOK to the draft bill for the new Local Government Code.

Addressing both the abolition of the second Sunday and the introduction of the alternative vote system included in the bill, Mr Livanios noted that in the previous elections no mayor elected had secured an absolute majority of valid ballots in the first round, “and for me this is a greater problem of popular legitimacy.”

He added that case law from the Council of State allows the legislature to choose the most appropriate electoral system, while respecting the principles of democratic legitimacy and proportionality. He also argued that the second round “has completed its cycle,” pointing to the reduced turnout recorded in runoff elections.

Constitutional objection debate over scrapping the second Sunday

PASOK rapporteur Panagiotis Douδωνης (Panagiotis Doudonis), who submitted the objection, spoke of “widespread constitutional trickery,” arguing that the party’s claims are also confirmed by the report of the Parliament’s Scientific Service, which—he said—identifies issues concerning the principle of popular sovereignty and the legitimacy of elected officials.

He accused the government of manipulations, stating: “Put in a provision that says Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, President of the Republic Konstantinos Tasoulas, and Mayor Bakoyannis.”

On the government side, New Democracy parliamentary spokesperson Dimitris Kairidis described the constitutional objection as “pretextual,” arguing that it “is not grounded in any provision of the Constitution.” As he added, Article 102 leaves the choice of electoral system to the ordinary legislator.

The objection was supported by other opposition parties as well.

Theofilos Xanthopoulos, parliamentary spokesperson for SYRIZA, citing results from the most recent local elections—where 248 mayors were elected in the first round and 84 in the second—argued that the bill changes a system which, he said, citizens have already accepted through their vote.

Nikolaos Karathanasopoulos of the KKE referred to the government’s invocation of “governability” as an argument for abolishing the second round. Zoe Konstantopoulou described the process as involving “extreme electoral manipulations.”

From Greek Solution, Konstantinos Chitas referred to the introduction of “new terminology of preferential voting,” while Giorgos Rountas from NIKI described a “labyrinthine system” of redistribution of second preferences with a 42% threshold.

The constitutional objection was rejected by the plenary session, and debate on the substance of the bill continues.