Government of Greece

“ The right to decide in the foregoing organisms upon questions within the sphere of local autonomy shall indispensably belong to eligible organs, who shall be elected by universal vote, or directly to the totality of the citizens belonging to each one of them. The State shall exercise, in the manner that the law shall prescribe, only ultimate control over the organisms of local self-government, which must not be a hindrance to their initiative and their free action. The State may contribute financial aid to the organisms of local self-government. ”

“ Besides, within the frame of the constitutional provisions regarding the press, care is being taken for the protection of the private and family life of public men as well as citizens, which means that in the clash between freedom of the press and freedom of the development of the personality (this including also the sphere of the person’s family relations) , the Constitution, consistent with its basically liberal orientation, places itself explicitly in favor of the second. ”

“ Hence, every citizen is entitled to legal protection by the courts and is capable of expressing his views in front of same with regard to his interests without any impediment. On the other hand, courts are obliged—while citizens are respectively entitled to ask—not to implement unconstitutional legal provisions, whether this unconstitutional quality pertains to their contents or the mode of their shaping. Court sessions have to be public, save for certain exceptions promulgated by the Constitution. ”

“ The complex of the provisions of the new Constitution referring to the dependence of the Government from the Parliament use as a basis the Parliamentary system of governing, as applied at ours in general lines up till the Constitution of 1952. The Parliament not only supports but it also controls the Government as a total or else members of the Government. ”

“ Article 100 Felonies, political offenses, as well as the offenses of the Press, as often as they do not relate to private life, shall be tried by Jury, except the press offenses against Judicial officers from the rank of the Justice of Peace and upwards which shall be always tried by Courts of Jury, to whose competence other offenses may, in like manner, be subjected by law. Felonies, which have been subjected by special laws to the competence of the Courts of Appeal, shall continue to be tried by these Courts so long as no law should refer them to the jurisdiction of the Courts of Jury. ”

“ Article 73 The President of the Republic shall not be held responsible for acts done in the exercise of his duties. He may solely be held responsible, in case he should be found guilty of high treason, of willful violation of the Constitution and the criminal (Penal) laws by the Senate which, constituted into a special tribunal, shall try him. The proposal to bring such an impeachment and arraignment for trial shall be submitted to the Chamber of Deputies, and it must be signed by the one-third and be adopted by a majority of the two-thirds of the whole number of Deputies. ”

“ Manifestations of any nature whatsoever in favour of or against a political party, in the exercise of their duties, by public servants, employees of local government agencies, of other legal entities of public law or of public enterprises or of enterprises of local government agencies or of enterprises whose management the State appoints by administrative act or as a shareholder, are absolutely prohibited. ”

“ A majority of three-fifths of the total number of Members of Parliament shall be necessary to vote the law ratifying the treaty or agreement. Greece shall freely proceed by law passed by an absolute majority of the total number of Members of Parliament to limit the exercise of national sovereignty, insofar as this is dictated by an important national interest, does not infringe upon the rights of man and the foundations of democratic government and is effected on the basis of the principles of equality and under the condition of reciprocity. ”

“ Among the provisions of article 7 of the Constitution, the one establishing the equality of the Greeks in front of the law is of primary importance. The principle of equality does not only bind the applier of the law (administration, courts) as it binds the very legislator himself, who must regulate similar situations or relations in an equal way, as formerly accepted by supreme courts. ”

“ A new characteristic, referring to the mode of practicing State authority, is introduced by the new Constitution in its ruling that every and all political authority does not solely spring from the people—especially in its primary form, i.e. the constituent authority—as it also springs from each of the three authorities through their agencies, such authority being thus practiced for the people and the nation. ”

“ Pensions must be proposed by means of special Bills; the insertion of provisions pertaining to pensions, in Bills introduced in order to regulate other matters, is not permitted under penalty of nullity. No Bill or amendment or addition which originated in Parliament shall be introduced for debate if it results in an expenditure or a reduction of revenues or assets for the State or local government agencies or other public law legal persons, for the purpose of paying a salary or pension or otherwise benefiting a person. ”

“ The matters relating to the mandatory and free transmission of the sessions of Parliament and of its committees, as well as of electoral addresses of the political parties by broadcasting media, shall be specified by law. Article 16 Art and science, research and teaching shall be free and their development and promotion shall be an obligation of the State. Academic freedom and freedom of teaching shall not exempt anyone from his duty of allegiance to the Constitution. ”

“ Certain livelihood relations or grants are nowadays considered to be a self- evident matter of special state interest and care, for example the family in general, public health, social security, labor; and finally the very economic development itself. The complete absence of .the state from the exposed fields, is certain that would lead, always on the basis of current data, to the path of exploitations, clashes, troublemaking, insecurity and decadence. ”

“ With regard .to the question of the relations between the state and the church (article 1) , the new Constitution, following the pattern of a whole series of previous Greek constitution, lead by our country’s history of the last few hundredth anniversaries and abiding by the religious beliefs of the Greek people in its totality, establishes the Eastern Orthodox Church religion as the one prevailing in Greece. The term “prevailing” religion does by no ineans indicate any superiority or all the more so its imposition over any or all the other known religions or creeds. ”

“ Parliament may, by decision taken through an absolute majority vote of all its members, withdraw its confidence from the Government or one of its members. A motion of censure can not be submitted, except after the lapse of 1 year from the rejection of such a motion, by Parliament or from the approval by it of a motion of confidence submitted by the Government. A motion of censure must be undersigned by at least one-sixth of the deputies, and iiie points on which discussion of the motions is to take place, must be clearly specified. ”

“ Subject to permission by the authorities, private citizens whose civil rights have not been revoked as well as legal entities may establish schools operating according to the Constitution and the laws of the state. Those establishing private schools and those teaching in them, are obliged to have the same moral and other qualifications as those required of public servants and prescribed by law. ”

“ Adoption of positive measures for promoting equality between men and women does not constitute discrimination on the basis of sex. The State shall attend to the elimination of inequalities actually existing, especially to the detriment of women. Ministerial decisions of a regulatory nature as well as provisions of collective agreements or arbitration decisions fixing the remuneration for employment which are contrary to the provisions of article 22 paragraph 1 shall remain in force until they are replaced not later than three years from the date of entry into force of this Constitution. ”

“ In order to ensure that an independent judgment will prevail insofar as judges are concerned, and strenthen the confidence of the citizens toward the administration of justice, the new Constitution initiates a system of guarantees in favor of the citizen, by complementing and elucidating the provisions of the previous Constitution in this point. ”

“ The general functioning of the parties, as more specifically provided by law shall be subject to the continuous supervision of the Constitutional Court, which shall have the right to dissolve any party whatsoever for violation of the Constitution or the laws. ”