Greek Parliament Advances Disability Support Bill

Members of the Greek Parliament debated a draft law that would create permanent personal‑assistant services for people with disabilities, extend early‑intervention programmes for children with developmental challenges, and repurpose idle public property for social‑housing projects. The legislation also addresses pension issues for retired public‑sector employees whose benefits pre‑date recent reforms.

New Democracy MP Theofilos Leontaridis highlighted the bill’s focus on the needs of northern Greece, especially the Serres region, and praised it as a response to demographic decline and ageing populations. In contrast, Syriza‑aligned MP Theodoros Xanthopoulos condemned the exclusion of disabled citizens, calling it a societal insult, and urged the removal of bureaucratic obstacles such as age limits, repeated disability‑card certifications, and limited access to public buildings.