In May 2019, municipal elections were held with simple proportional representation. Forty days later there were national elections, which were won by the Southwest. The new government was quick to legislate regulations that altered the balance of power in the municipalities. AFTER the municipal elections. Example: as the elected councillors had already been declared, the government could not change the composition of the Municipal Council. So it did the following: it took away its powers, transferred them to the Finance Committee and changed this composition to the advantage of the majority party. He had an argument: «I do not believe in proportional representation, I want “strong” mayors». Good. But you can't do that after the election. Because when voters went to the polls, they were voting for mayors and crossing councillors based on the electoral system in place. If they knew it would be applied differently, they might vote differently. Elementary. The «one plus one equals two» of elections and democracy. Otherwise every government would - let's say - change the composition of the parliament, post-election.
But there is more to the story. The electoral law of ’19 provided that in small islands belonging to larger municipalities (e.g. in Schinoussa, which belongs to Naxos), the majority municipal councillor was elected deputy mayor, even if he came from a party that did not win the elections in the municipality. I find it reasonable. Sandy Island, the 162 who turned out to the polls (out of 220 residents) know who they want to represent them. But they also made a mistake, they chose him based on the current law. Theodoricakos has no right, as Minister of the Interior of the Southwest, to come after the fact and tell them «not him, someone else»!
What was the reason for the ND government to deal in the summer of 2019 with a few deputy mayors of small, sandy islands, such as Schinoussa and Koufonisia? Counted literally on the fingers of the hand, all over Greece? No reason. My opinion: only ideological bravado. «Simple proportional representation is not good for Greece».
But the elected but not appointed deputy mayor of Schinoussa appealed to the Council of State (joy to his courage). Which three years later, in a final and irrevocable decision, ruled the ND-Theodorikakos regulation unconstitutional, since in «post-election time» it distorted the «expressed will of the voters» on these islands. So now, the applicant must be appointed village deputy mayor of Schinoussa for the last year of his term of office. You will say, not even «half» justice. A quarter of justice. But at least. Moral vindication.
But let's get to the more serious stuff. The Council of State also found unconstitutional (first of all in part) AND the alteration of the Economic Commission. Something that concerns all municipalities in the country and all Greek citizens. Now a final decision on this issue is also expected from the plenary session. Of course, there goes the term of office. The people voted differently, the people were governed differently.
Conclusion. In what other European country would such a blatant change of the electoral law be made after the fact, then be judged by the country's Supreme Court of Cassation to have violated «the rights to vote and to stand for election, as well as the principles of free and undistorted expression of the popular will, as an expression of the principle of popular sovereignty and of equality of conditions of electoral competition, in accordance with Articles (...) of the Constitution» and the Minister would whistle indifferently from his new post, that of... Protector of the Citizen?;
Or, to put it another way: why should Theodoricacos resign by apologising? Which of the government's supporters, especially the latecomers, did he annoy?;
Nikos Albanopoulos
