VZCZCXRO1864
PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN
RUEHLZ RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHTH #0778 1570954
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 050954Z JUN 08
FM AMEMBASSY ATHENS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1920
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS ATHENS 000778 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL ELAB ECON SOCI GR
SUBJECT: CONSTITUTIONAL REVISION CONCLUDES WITH WHIMPER 
 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED -- PROTECT ACCORDINGLY 
 
------- 
SUMMARY 
------- 
 
¶1.   (SBU) The Karamanlis government's ambitious plans for 
constitutional revision came to a lackluster close on May 
27 when only 3 relatively minor (out of 38 proposed) 
constitutional amendments were adopted by parliament.  With 
major opposition party PASOK removing itself from the 
constitutional revision process early on, PM Karamanlis was 
hard pressed to find sufficient votes for any 
constitutional amendments.  Smaller opposition parties 
agreed to a few minor amendments as a tactic to forestall 
any further constitutional change until 2013; under Greek 
law, a period of at least five years must elapse between 
parliamentary consideration of any constitutional 
revisions.  Among other things, this means that the 
government's proposed amendment to Article XVI of the Greek 
constitution to allow recognition of degrees from private, 
non-profit universities in Greece is off the table for the 
foreseeable future.  End Summary. 
 
¶2.   (U) On May 27, the Greek Parliament voted on a series 
of proposed amendments to the Greek constitution, the vast 
majority of which had been proposed by the Karamanlis 
administration.  Holding to its professed "position of 
principle" main opposition PASOK did not participate in the 
vote on any of the proposed amendments, having previously 
excoriated the government's proposal to amend Article 16 so 
that non-state universities could be legally established in 
Greece.  To amend Greece's constitution a super-majority of 
180 (out of 300 total seats) is required.  Given the ruling 
party's tenuous majority of 151 seats, constitutional 
amendments are impossible without significant opposition 
support.  Out of the 38 proposed amendments, however, only 
three were ratified, with votes from ruling New Democracy 
(ND), and opposition parties the Communist Party of Greece 
(KKE), the Radical Left Coalition (SYRIZA), and the Popular 
Orthodox Rally (LAOS) parties. 
 
¶3.   (U) The three adopted amendments addressed mundane 
issues of little interest to the general public: 
 
-- Amendment of Article 57 to allow seated MPs to continue 
to work in their chosen professions while serving in 
Parliament; 
 
--  Unanimous revision of Article 79 to expand 
parliamentary authority to amend the central government's 
budget and monitor its implementation; and 
 
-- A change to Article 101 to strengthen the parliament's 
role in supporting mountainous and island areas of the 
country. 
 
¶4.  (U) With this process concluded, any further effort to 
amend the Greek constitution cannot take place until 2013. 
Under Greek law a period of at least five years must elapse 
between parliamentary consideration of any constitutional 
revisions. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Comment: The Karamanlis government had begun the 
process trumpeting key proposals to amend the Greek 
constitution; among the most significant were provisions to 
allow the legal establishment of non-state universities and 
allow recognition of degrees from private, non-profit 
universities in Greece, and to create a new constitutional 
court. Embassy Athens has lobbied the Karamanlis government 
and the opposition heavily in support of U.S.-affiliated 
institutions in Greece.  Currently, these institutions are 
disadvantaged since degrees from these institutions are not 
recognized by the state.  However, opposition to the 
proposed amendments centered on the educational provisions 
with universal disagreement from opposition parties and 
continuing violent street demonstrations.  For the 
foreseeable future, these proposals are o