Parliament committee approves diaspora voting bill; Plenary debate next
A bill expanding voting rights for Greeks living abroad was approved in its second reading by a parliamentary committee on Monday and will be debated in the plenary session starting Tuesday.
The draft law, introduced by the Interior Ministry, provides for the creation of a dedicated overseas electoral district and allows postal voting in national elections for registered expatriate voters. A roll-call vote is scheduled for Thursday.
Under constitutional rules, provisions receiving at least 200 votes will take immediate effect in the next general election. Measures falling short of that threshold but still approved by a majority will apply from subsequent elections.
The bill was backed by the ruling New Democracy party. The Communist Party (KKE) and New Left voted against it, while PASOK-KINAL, SYRIZA, Greek Solution, Niki and Course of Freedom reserved their positions for the plenary debate.
Interior Minister Theodoros Livanios announced amendments aimed at building broader consensus, including maintaining gender quotas on party candidate lists for the diaspora district and strengthening personal data protections for overseas voter rolls. He rejected claims that postal voting is unconstitutional, arguing that it is explicitly permitted by the Constitution for voters abroad and includes strict safeguards.
Opposition parties broadly support postal voting but raised objections to the creation of a single three-seat global electoral district for expatriates, citing concerns over representativeness, campaign costs and accountability. Some lawmakers argued that the arrangement could favor larger parties.
If approved with 200 votes, postal voting for Greeks abroad will be implemented in the next national elections. The establishment of a three-seat diaspora constituency and the election of its lawmakers by preference vote may be delayed if they fail to secure the required supermajority.
Lawmakers also voiced concern over escalating tensions in the Middle East and called for government briefings on the regional situation during the committee session.
