The new electoral law: Up to 250 MPs, half of Parliament elected in single-member districts without preference votes, seven regions nationwide

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Sweeping changes to the electoral strategy are being planned by the government, including a extremist overhaul of electoral districts, a important simplification successful parliamentary seats, and a partial abolition of the penchant vote.

According to reports, the cardinal provisions of the caller strategy volition soon beryllium presented successful an informal nationalist consultation, truthful that alongside the authoritative treatment connected law revision, determination tin beryllium substantive dialog among governmental parties connected broader and indispensable reforms crossed the country’s antiauthoritarian institutions.

As Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis clarified during past Thursday’s parliamentary statement connected the regularisation of law, this inaugural is not intended to abruptly alteration the rules of the governmental game.

Instead, it aims for meaningful dialog with afloat transparency, arsenic the halfway doctrine and main provisions of the draught instrumentality volition beryllium discussed successful the existent Parliament, past introduced arsenic authorities aft the 2027 elections and implemented—if it secures the required majorities—in the 2031 elections.

“The 2031 elections should find the state with a different, much modern electoral system, voted astatine the opening of the word truthful that everyone knows the rules. It would beryllium perfect if we could hold from present to walk it with a wide majority,” the premier curate noted.

The changes

The caller electoral strategy designed by Interior Minister Thodoros Livanios is based connected the alleged “German model,” adapted to Greek conditions. A cardinal betterment is the part of the state into 7 ample electoral regions (down from 60 today), aligned with the geographic boundaries of decentralized administrations.

Each portion is allocated a fig of MPs based connected the ineligible population, arsenic determined by the nationalist census.

In each of the 7 regions, three-fifths of MPs would beryllium elected successful single-member constituencies (possibly called electoral units), and the remaining two-fifths from enactment lists. However, a 50%-50% divided is considered much apt to debar a majoritarian system.

The boundaries of these constituencies would beryllium drawn by an autarkic committee elected by Parliament’s Conference of Presidents with a three-fifths majority. If nary statement is reached aft 2 sessions (30 days apart), the committee would beryllium formed ex officio (e.g., elder judges, academics, etc.).

Appeals against its decisions could lone beryllium made to the Supreme Special Court, which would regularisation wrong strict deadlines.

Each constituency indispensable person a colonisation betwixt 80% and 120% of the nationalist average, with imaginable exceptions for land regions (up to ±40%). They indispensable besides beryllium geographically continuous, with immoderate justified exceptions.

Reduction of seats

The full fig of MPs could scope from 200 to 250. Of these, three-fifths would beryllium elected successful constituencies (120–150 MPs) and the remainder via enactment lists (80–100), oregon alternatively a 50%-50% split.

A fig of “state MPs” (e.g. 10–12) whitethorn beryllium retained, reducing the database seats accordingly—mainly affecting larger parties and allowing figures specified arsenic erstwhile premier ministers to debar contesting single-member districts.

Different scenarios are being considered for spot allocation. For example:

In a 250-seat Parliament, a bonus of 25 oregon 35 seats for the starring enactment is planned, achieving proportionality of 90% oregon 86%.
In a 200-seat Parliament, a bonus of 20 oregon 30 seats is considered, achieving 90% oregon 85% proportionality.

In each constituency, the campaigner of the enactment with the plurality wins, provided the enactment exceeds 3% nationwide. Otherwise, the campaigner from the 2nd enactment is elected.

Voting for a constituency campaigner would besides automatically number arsenic a ballot for that party’s determination list—unlike the German system, which allows much elector flexibility.

“Reserve” seats

If a enactment wins much constituency seats than its nationalist stock entitles it to, a “buffer” mechanics applies.

In a 200-seat Parliament, up to 100 further seats whitethorn beryllium added.
In a 250-seat Parliament, up to 50 further seats.

For example, if a enactment is entitled to 80 seats but wins 85 constituencies, Parliament would grow to 205 members. These other seats are called “overhang seats” and are allocated to regions with the highest population-to-seat ratios.

Regions nether the projected system