Parliament votes to lift Konstantopoulou’s immunity; Kanelli retains protection
The Parliament on Thursday voted to lift the parliamentary immunity of Zoi Konstantopoulou, leader of the Plefsi Eleftherias (Course of Freedom) party, following a criminal complaint filed against her by Olga Dalla, a candidate for the same party in the 2023 elections.
At the same session, Parliament rejected a request to lift the immunity of Liana Kanelli, MP for the Communist Party of Greece (KKE).
The case against Kanelli stemmed from a defamation complaint filed by Konstantopoulou.
The motion concerning Konstantopoulou was approved by 238 MPs, with 46 voting against, out of 284 present. The request to lift Kanelli’s immunity, however, was rejected by 209 votes against, 25 in favour, and 50 abstentions.
The decisions reflect Parliament’s case-by-case approach to lifting MPs’ immunity, which is required before criminal proceedings can move forward against sitting members.
