A political confrontation erupted in Greece’s parliament after the governing majority approved the establishment of a parliamentary inquiry into the country’s wiretapping scandal under a requirement of 151 votes, a move fiercely opposed by opposition parties.
Opposition lawmakers accused the government of undermining parliamentary procedures, with some describing the decision as a “parliamentary coup.” The dispute centers on whether the inquiry should be subject to a simple minority-backed mechanism or require an absolute parliamentary majority because of its alleged links to national security matters.
Opposition Walkouts
The PASOK party walked out of parliament, declaring that it would not tolerate what it described as “this theater of the absurd.” Shortly afterward, the opposition SYRIZA party also left the chamber.
SYRIZA leader Sokratis Famellos said his party would not support what he called a “parliamentary coup,” escalating tensions over the handling of the proposed investigation.
Debate Over Constitutional Rules
The controversy began when government lawmaker Makis Voridis argued that PASOK’s proposal for an inquiry into the wiretapping affair falls within the scope of national defense and, therefore, requires the approval of at least 151 lawmakers.
PASOK has invoked constitutional provisions that allow parliamentary minorities to establish investigative committees with 120 affirmative votes. However, that provision does not apply to matters concerning foreign policy or national defense, where an absolute majority of 151 votes is required.
Voridis maintained that the proposal touches on issues related to national security and should therefore be examined under the stricter constitutional framework.
“The establishment of an inquiry committee in matters concerning national defense or foreign policy cannot rely solely on a parliamentary minority but requires the approval of the majority,” he argued, adding that he believes PASOK’s proposal falls into that category.
Calls for a Full Investigation
Alexandros Kazamias, parliamentary representative of the Course of Freedom party, challenged the government’s position and questioned whether the ruling party genuinely considered the case a matter of national security.
“If there are indeed issues of national security, as claimed, then they should be investigated,” he said. Kazamias argued that it would be unacceptable for parliament to block an inquiry into such allegations and called for a full investigation into the surveillance affair.
He also stated that all individuals included on a list of monitored persons should be allowed to present their positions and insisted that the inquiry committee should be established based on the proposal submitted by the opposition.
