Opening his remarks, Mitsotakis offered condolences for the five workers killed in the explosion and fire at the Violanta biscuit factory in Trikala, before pivoting to a wider message about volatility on the international stage, security challenges, and what he framed as the need for political stability.
Against that backdrop, he presented overseas postal voting as a democratic and institutional upgrade that should be completed now, building on Greece’s recent experience with mail-in voting in the European elections. He argued that the existing framework, which required voters abroad to also have the option of in-person voting, did not always make participation easier, since many had to travel long distances to reach a polling station.
The government’s plan, to be brought forward by Interior Minister Thodoris Livanios, would not only allow Greeks abroad to vote by mail, but would also let them vote for a specific candidate of their choice, rather than only selecting a party list. Mitsotakis said the proposal would create a dedicated three-seat constituency for Greeks abroad, with those registered overseas voting within that district.
He also said the number of nationwide “state list” seats would return to 12, as it was for decades before being changed in recent years, and stressed that the rest of the electoral map would remain unchanged, including the 3 per cent parliamentary threshold.
In political terms, Mitsotakis called the move a “national” reform that should stand above party lines, and said he had asked the interior minister to begin immediate consultations with other parties. He expressed confidence that parliament could reach the supermajority required for such a change, pointing to past statements from multiple parties in favour of expanding participation for overseas voters.
Under Greece’s constitutional framework, key changes to election rules typically require a broad majority, and the prime minister explicitly referenced the 200-vote threshold he says is needed for the reform he is proposing.
Beyond the procedural details, Mitsotakis framed the reform as part of a wider effort to strengthen ties with the Greek diaspora, including through “brain gain” initiatives designed to attract skilled Greeks back to the country. He also argued that the creation of a diaspora constituency would generate a new kind of internal competition among candidates from different global regions, potentially boosting engagement among overseas voters.
He made no mention of the “50-seat bonus“ – Greece’s reinforced proportional representation system, under which the leading party receives a seat bonus that scales with its vote share. The bonus starts at 20 seats if the first party reaches 25%, then rises by one seat for every additional 0.5 percentage points, up to a maximum of 50.
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