The fuse of political developments was the Marc survey for last Sunday’s “THEMA”, which recorded a bipartisan consensus in favor of suspension of tenure in the public sector, with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis choosing the constitutional field to make a political revelation, in yet another attempt to corner PASOK politically and set the political agenda with an ideological bias.

Given the imminent launch of the constitution revision process and noting the social maturation of specific initiatives, such as the establishment of non-state – non-profit universities, the government announces a broad fan of interventions in capital articles throwing the ball to the opposition, as it is a given that 180 MPs will be required at some stage of the revision process.

According to Thematos, the government aspires to open the constitutional revision case towards the end of 2025, making 2026 the year of substantial discussion on post-election interventions. Besides, the current Parliament is pre-revisionary, which means that at this stage the articles to be revised are selected and the next Parliament chooses the direction of the changes. If an article becomes revisable now with 180 votes, 151 votes are needed in the next Parliament to change it, and if an increased majority of 3/5 is not found now, 180 votes will be needed in the second year.

Therefore, it is a given that broader consensus will be required, although in theory, the N.D. coalition is sufficient to find 180 votes. (155 MPs) and PASOK (33 MPs).

In the autumn, at the same time, decisions will also be made on the person who will handle the revision process on behalf of the New Democracy, of course, in direct cooperation with the Maximou building.

In the recent reviews, Dimitris Avramopoulos, the current President of the Republic, Kostas Tasoulas, but also the former MP Kostas Tzavara, were recruited. A crucial role is expected to be played by the Prime Minister’s Secretary General Stelios Koutnatzis, while it is estimated that Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis will also assist in an advisory role. Legal background in the close core of the Grand Maximou also includes the government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis and the Deputy Prime Minister Giorgos Mylonakis.

Universities, the public sector, and ministers

Throughout the past, Mitsotakis has made clear his intentions for broad changes to the Constitution, given that the New Democracy party currently has a majority and can set the tone for interventions. Against the backdrop of the establishment of non-state universities, Mitsotakis has spoken of the need to revise Article 16, throwing down the gauntlet to PASOK, as consensus from the Left parties is unlikely to be found.

As for the Public, he talks about interfering with Article 103 par. 4, while specifying that the removal of tenure should apply to all civil servants, both recruits and those already serving.

Government sources point out that, at the moment, civil servants can be dismissed only after a final decision by the Disciplinary Board or their final criminal conviction, which is extremely time-consuming and expensive.

They also leave open the possibility of additional legislative intervention, if there is a constitutional adjustment, to modify the framework for dismissing civil servants for cases of inactivity established through the evaluation.

Among the changes envisioned by Maximou’s Mansion is Article 86, with as little involvement of the Parliament as possible when the judiciary tries to prosecute a political figure. In this logic, moreover, Mitsotakis has also launched the Triantopoulos model, announcing that it will be applied in the case of former Infrastructure and Transport Minister Kostas Ach. Karamanlis.

Still, Mitsotakis is discussing Article 90 on how to elect the leadership of the judiciary, which has been raised by PASOK, while he has also made reference to Article 24 on environmental protection, with an eye on the need for a new intersection between the drawing up of local urban plans and environmental protection.

It will also be recalled that Mitsotakis had also announced a constitutional intervention in Article 30, which defines how the President of the Republic is elected, at the time he nominated Tasoulas for the top state office.

Mitsotakis has now advocated for a single six-year term for the country’s first citizen. At the same time, government officials are also photographing Article 51 for revision to constitutionally enshrine the postal vote, which the government is seeking to implement in national elections for voters within Greece, as was done in the 2024 European elections without any particular problems.

Pressing and evaluation

Realizing the hesitation of the opposition parties, especially Harilaou Trikoupis, on public sector issues, Mitsotakis has opted for a sideways approach, with an eye on centrist voters who may swing between the two parties. Executives at Megaro Maximou recall, moreover, the electric shock to the PASOK leadership that former minister Kostas Skandalidis took a direct position in favor of removing the tenure of civil servants.

More broadly, the government is investing in interventions in the public sector, judging that private employees and freelancers are calling for the state not to be treated as a sacred cow, while many civil servants are also calling for evaluation as a tool for service advancement.

Already on Friday, Deputy Prime Minister Kostis Hatzidakis announced the expansion of the productivity bonus for civil servants in positions of responsibility, while the Interior Ministry through Minister Theodoros Livanios presents the new design for the Public Disciplinary Courts with the activation of officials from the State Legal Council for faster processing of pending cases that are stagnating.

In any case, the government does not want to be trapped in the single-issue Tebi agenda in which the opposition parties are investing. In any case, other polls that came to light after Marc last Sunday (Metron Analysis for MEGA, Opinion Poll for ACTION24) also show ND writing “3” ahead in the vote estimate, which means that the party is managing to talk to critical audiences again.

At the same time, for the first time in a long time, the government is setting an agenda with issues that both favor it politically and corner opposition parties. It will continue on this course, with the next milestone being next Wednesday’s Cabinet meeting.