The constitutional objection to the amendment concerning the Unknown Soldier was rejected, which had been filed by PASOK, SYRIZA, New Left and Course of Freedom. 55 MPs voted in favor of the objection and 95 against. The debate was marked by fierce confrontation between the government and the opposition. The majority, through Justice Minister George Floridis, rejected the request.
Read: SYRIZA: Call for rally at Syntagma against amendment for Unknown Soldier Monument
George Floridis began his statement with an excerpt from the speech of the then Parliament Speaker, Themistoklis Sofoulis, at the inauguration of the Unknown Soldier monument on March 25, 1932. This is exactly the content of the regulation, declared the Justice Minister.
The monument honors the struggles of the homeland, he noted. This is about restoring the institutionally obvious, he said referring to the regulation. “It is not just a monument, a public space. It is the memory of our nation there,” he emphasized.
As he argued, the regulation “does not attempt to oppose the purpose and the supreme monument with the demonstrations of the people and society on any issue. There is no national monument on one side and Tempe, Mati, Samina shipwreck on the other. There is the national monument where we honor our dead and the spaces where we honor all the views and issues that exist. They are not all for the same purpose,” he continued.
Later he launched his attacks on the opposition, saying it resorts to superficial, legalistic narratives. “Today’s PASOK chose to easily bypass one of its basic characteristics that were criticized, its adherence to national and patriotic characteristics. It becomes a follower of the Left parties, without calculating the price it has paid so far because of these choices,” he said, causing reactions. “You chose a confrontation with legalistic tricks, referring to it as simply a monument and a space, the monument of the nation,” he added.
“What does this text you submitted as a constitutional objection have to do with Sofoulis’ speech? Find me one word from your text that matches Sofoulis’ text,” he continued.
“The various Left parties are in a vacuum. Greece has 132,000 square kilometers. Ten meters away are the 25 acres of Syntagma Square. But we have unconstitutionality because a few square meters should be used to protect the supreme monument of Hellenism. And your problem is why don’t you let us trample on it too,” he added.
“The third side is the parties of ultra-patriotic rhetoric. Once again it was the most sad revelation. Because their mask is nothing but constant pseudo-patriotic fraud,” George Floridis also mentioned.
What preceded
It should be noted that the discussion began shortly after 15:30 on Tuesday afternoon (21/10) in the Parliamentary Plenary, against the backdrop of the constitutional objection filed by PASOK, SYRIZA, New Left and Course of Freedom, regarding the amendment concerning the Unknown Soldier Monument.
The texts submitted by the four Parliamentary Groups have different content but common reasoning that concludes that the measures promoted by the government violate the right of assembly. At the end of the procedure, the members of the national representation will position themselves overall with a roll call vote.
Doudonis: “Ridicule is greater torture than constitutional objection”
The round of discussion on unconstitutionality began with Panagiotis Doudonis from PASOK, who among other things pointed out that “when the worst govern and legislate full of tension and passion we are obliged to transfer our own views to parliament. The absolute prohibition of assembly in the space in front of the Unknown Soldier monument contradicts and violates the principle of necessity as a prerequisite of the principle of proportionality and thus restricts the right to assemble.”
Indeed, Mr. Doudonis submitted to the Parliamentary records photographs both from the demonstrations that had taken place for the Prespa Agreement, as well as in the summer of 2015, in which protesters appear to be in front of the Monument.
“Ridicule is greater torture than constitutional objection. You can counter unconstitutionality with vulgar distractions, you cannot counter the ridicule that will always follow you,” Mr. Doudonis meaningfully argued. “You assign care and cleanliness to the Defense Minister. Where is the minister to defend the amendment?” he also pointed out.
From SYRIZA, Parliamentary Group Secretary Dionysis Kalamatinos mentioned that “a constitutionally guaranteed right is criminalized” to note “the provision is contrary to Article 7 of the Constitution which defines the clarity of Criminal Law. The act that is punished must be clearly defined.”
Iliopoulos: He bought Latinopoulou’s line to sell “law and order”
For his part, New Left Parliamentary Representative Nasos Iliopoulos, positioning himself on the constitutional objection, wondered: “How did Mr. Mitsotakis handle this defeat? He bought Latinopoulou’s line to sell ‘law and order’. Even worse, he takes a symbolic and substantially negative step, giving responsibility for the space in front of Parliament to the Ministry of National Defense.” “Obviously, the assignment of monument maintenance to contractors could not be absent from this amendment. The government admits the following simple fact: that it is afraid. It fears society and the democratic mobilizations of citizens. One thing is certain: whatever ND votes, society’s struggles will cancel government plans.”
The leader of Course of Freedom, Zoe Konstantopoulou, stated that the Constitution continues to contain the most progressive protection of political, social and human rights. At the same time, she accused the government of “being nostalgic for dictatorship,” albeit with exceptions. The government, she added, has an “unbridled desire to impose martial law.” According to Mrs. Konstantopoulou, Panos Routsis’ move “panicked the prime minister and those around him” who are “commissioned to cover up,” while she emphasized that the prime minister “organized revenge” with an unconstitutional amendment. “The last time military forces guarded the Syntagma Square area was in 1941,” she pointed out, emphasizing that it was done by Italian occupation forces. “You have been utterly defeated, Mr. Mitsotakis is trying to stay in power by any means,” she added and repeated that society demands justice for the crime of Tempe.
Mitarakis: Prohibition at Unknown Soldier consistent with Article 11 of Constitution
For his part, New Democracy Parliamentary Representative Notis Mitarakis emphasized that prohibiting gatherings or assemblies at a historic monument in order to protect it does not constitute a violation of the right of assembly. “Assemblies and gatherings of citizens will continue to take place in Syntagma Square,” the ND parliamentary representative characteristically mentioned and repeated that the prohibition will apply to 1/5 of the Syntagma Square area.
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