Greek Minister Akis Skertsi Defends Constitutional Fiscal Guardrail Proposal

The governing majority in Greece has introduced a constitutional amendment to add a fiscal guardrail to Article 79, obligating each government to adopt budgets that ensure the sustainability of public finances. The proposal, described by Minister of State Akis Skertsi as a responsible act for current and future generations, is part of New Democracy's broader constitutional revision effort.

Opposition parties, including PASOK, voted against the amendment in the first parliamentary vote. Skertsi criticised the opposition on social media, saying a large part of the political system has not yet learned the lesson of the ten‑year debt crisis. He noted that some parties did not even attend the vote, leaving little room for a change of stance in a subsequent round. Skertsi warned that strong institutional safeguards are needed to prevent a repeat of past bankruptcies and stressed the amendment's importance ahead of upcoming elections.