Parliament votes today on deputy speaker post amid confrontation over Akrita nomination

Greece’s Parliament is set to vote at 12:30 on SYRIZA’s proposal to fill a deputy speaker position with Elena Akrita. The vote will be open and recorded by name.

New Democracy has said it will not support the proposal because it objects to the person nominated. At the opening of the plenary session, SYRIZA parliamentary spokesman Christos Giannoulis called the governing majority “pitiful” for, in his view, putting political cost above all else. He asked for a plenary debate before the vote, although Parliament’s rules do not provide for such a discussion.

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pitiful for putting political cost above all else

Giannoulis said the government had degraded parliamentary activity and urged lawmakers to preserve appearances at the last moment. New Democracy spokesman Notis Mitarakis replied that as much discussion as necessary would take place over whether to elect a deputy speaker, but told Giannoulis to read Parliament’s rules. Those rules allow parties to nominate candidates according to their size, with the plenary making the final decision, Mitarakis said.

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The government has managed to degrade parliamentary activity to the point that we remember the votes on investigating the responsibilities of Voridis and Avgenakis.

Mitarakis also defended lawmakers’ right to express and assess opinions. He said that if Giannoulis believed lawmakers lacked that right, he was violating the letter and spirit of the Constitution.

Akrita wrote that day that all parties except Niki had rallied around her, but New Democracy would block her nomination. She accused Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis of turning a secondary issue into a major political dispute. Akrita said she would return to her duties in equality and human rights, welfare and social cohesion, and digital technology.

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Despite all the parties rallying around me, except Niki, New Democracy will block my candidacy.