Greek Parliament begins crucial vote on constitutional revision

The Greek Parliament faces a critical test today as it begins voting on 33 articles slated for constitutional revision. This marks the first significant hurdle in a process that could reshape the nation's foundational law.

A key focus of the proposed amendments, put forth by the New Democracy party, is Article 86. This article deals with the parliamentary immunity of ministers facing criminal investigations. The revision aims to streamline or alter the current procedures, potentially disentangling the parliament from certain judicial processes concerning its members.

The constitutional revision process is structured in two stages. Today's vote is the first, where articles need to secure at least 151 votes to be considered for further deliberation. If an article passes this threshold, it will proceed to a second vote, scheduled for the last week of August. For a provision to be ultimately adopted as part of the revised constitution, it requires a supermajority of 180 votes in the subsequent parliamentary session.

However, if any article fails to garner the minimum 151 votes today, it will be deemed rejected and will not proceed to the second round of voting. The voting will be conducted electronically and will be a roll-call vote, allowing for transparency. Members of Parliament will cast their votes as 'yes,' 'no,' or 'present.' Any article without a recorded vote will be considered as not having been voted on.