Constitutional consensus proposed by Mr Samaras

Given that the process for revising the Constitution cannot start before 2013 – five years are required from the previous revision – Mr Samaras wants to show that he is willing to discuss and agree with the government on a series of structural changes that the country is in need of. Thus, he shakes off the responsibility and forestalls the accusation that he is «refusing the consent sought by the Prime Minister.»

This is because it is a fact that Mr. Samaras will continue to reject the element of fiscal adjustment involved in the Memorandum and argue that there cannot be a consensus on fiscal issues without a change in the financial climate policy mix.

In conclusion, he wants to show that he does not say «no to the Government in everything» but only to the Memorandum policy which is a dead end and prolongs the recession. In this context he wishes to emphasize that he does not only agree with the structural changes but also upholds this decision by proposing major reforms that require a change of the constitutional map.

Through this committee, Mr Samaras will bring back ND’s suggestions such as the changing of the status of university asylum and higher educational institutions. He will also ask for the change of the voting system and propose that the electoral districts be set on a constitutional provision level, so that the Government will suspend their planning for the amendment of the relevant law in the manner of the German system.

Along with the political targeting entailed in this committee, Mr Samaras aims to keep inner party balances. Firstly, he reassigns a prominent role to the vice president of the party, Mr Dimitris Avramopoulos, who will be the president of the committee and has recently shown that he is moving on an autonomous line for his own benefit, aiming at the office of the President of the Democracy. Consequently, prominent members are involved in this committee and all the different tendencies of the party are reflected, from Mr Prokopis Pavlopoulos to former MP and Mr George Souflias’ friend, Thanassis Katsigiannis.

This committee will also involve the other ND vice president, Stavros Dimas, spokesperson Panos Panagiotopoulos, president of Constantinos Karamanlis Institute for Democracy Ev. Meimarakis, citizen protection sector chief Nikos Dendias, Interior chief Christos Zois, Environment chief Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Justice chief Anastasios Nerantzis, the head of the programming secreteriat Euripides Stylianidis, MP and professor of Public Law Prokopis Pavlopoulos and the party’s presidential advisor, Dim. Stamatis.

However, party observers humorously commented that «the fact is that Mr Avramopoulos’ placement as chairman of this committee ensures that it will stay on a symbolic level, since as president of the party’s congress he failed to organize the pre-congress proceedings.»