Policymakers in Athens are considering increasing the threshold for a political party to enter the parliament as the presence of two new far-right groups in the current mandate has raised eyebrows.
The threshold to enter the Greek parliament is currently at 3%. Greek press reports now suggest mainstream politicians in Athens seriously consider increasing it to 5%.
The composition of the new parliament following the June elections has caused mainstream politicians headaches.
Eight parties managed to pass the 3% threshold – four of them marginally.
Among the four is “The Spartans”, a far-right group linked to former neo-Nazi “Golden Dawn”, a party branded as a criminal organisation by Greek courts.
Before the elections, the ruling centre-right New Democracy party tried to prevent a “disguised” Golden Dawn to run for the elections through a law, but massively failed to do so, drawing the criticism of the leftist opposition.
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Another one is “The Niki” (victory), which according to Greek press reports, receives financial support from para-religious organisations or even some Russian businessmen.
The pro-Russian “Greek Solution”, affiliated with the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) in the EU parliament, also entered the Greek House.
Critics suggest that the composition of the new parliament creates a chaotic situation with fragmented opposition and expected “low-quality” politics due to the nature of the political groups’ programs.
Officially, the government does not admit there is a discussion to change the threshold, however, several analysts keep the issue hot on the agenda.
Constitution experts are also divided over whether such a measure would be lawful.
In order to be implemented in the next election, any change to the electoral law requires a 2/3 majority, i.e. 200 votes in the 300-seat parliament.
Press reports suggest that it would be tough for the proposal to pass through the current parliament composition.
(Sarantis Michalopoulos | EURACTIV.com)
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