Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis this week proposed revisiting a core element of Greece’s Constitution that guarantees lifetime employment for civil servants, signaling a major potential reform in the country’s public administration.
In an interview to SKAI radio, Mitsotakis said the upcoming constitutional revision process should include a re-evaluation of Article 103, which currently foresees job permanence for public employees.
“I believe the time has come to review Article 103 of the Constitution, which establishes the permanence of civil servants during the upcoming Constitutional Revision,” he said. “For reasons of established structural and systemic inadequacy, the possibility of their removal should be given.”
The comments come after the launch of a new government-run digital platform that allows citizens to rate and provide feedback on a broad range of public services. The move is part of the government’s broader push for performance-based evaluation and accountability in the public sector.
Mitsotakis emphasized that refusal to participate in evaluations should not be tolerated, warning that civil servants who reject assessment procedures could face penalties.
“Refusing evaluation cannot be possible,” he stressed. “There are very many public servants who do their job well, and this government is the first to introduce a performance bonus for them. But we must ensure that substantive evaluations are carried out consistently.”
Foreign Policy and Media Criticism
In the same interview, Mitsotakis also addressed the ongoing crisis in Gaza, describing the situation as “unjustified and unacceptable”. He urged Israel to immediately halt its military operations.
When asked about a recent article in “The Guardian” titled “Greece is booming again. This time, will it last?” by journalist Paul Taylor, Mitsotakis responded with criticism of the UK-based publication.
“For many Greeks, not much has improved since the dark days of the debt crisis,” writes Taylor. In response, Mitsotakis encouraged readers to consult other publications as well.
“Don’t only read ‘The Guardian’,” Mitsotakis said. “It’s good but it’s a leftist paper that criticizes us and we hear it, but let me say that it’s not thorough.”
The PM went on to defend his government’s track record, citing wage increases, tax reductions, and social support policies, stressing that Greece is on a path of sustainable recovery after years of financial hardship.
“We’ve kept our promises and supported all social groups. And there’s still room for more measures,” he said.
