Greece: Government passes bill aiming to streamline administration

The Greek government managed to pass a legislation aiming to streamline the administration process and at the same time provide better transparency. The discussion of the bill was accompanied by a heated argument between Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Opposition leader Alexis Tsipras.

Greece's Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis addresses lawmakers during a parliamentary session to present his government's policies. Source: AAP Image/AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris

The bill was passed by MPs of the New Democracy party. 

“The government is becoming collective, but at the same time effective and fast: Ministries, instead of acting as separate fiefdoms, integrate their actions into a common programming. And the cabinet will from now on vote on everything,” said Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, and added that “public administration is being disassociated from party politics.”

He also expressed the view that the long ques at public service centres will become a thing of the past, since now the majority of transactions between the people and the government are conducted electronically.  

“We still have a state with a big head that still causes tears of despair among its citizens,” said Mr. Mitsiotakis during a debate with opposition leader Alexis Tsipras. During the debate Mr. Tsipras accused the New Democracy party of acting on self-interest and of populism. 

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Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis in Hellenic Parliament. Source: Dimitrios Karvountzis/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images