Greek Parliament passes public administration reform bill

The Greek Parliament has passed a bill to reform the public administration, focusing on the grading system, promotion processes, and the selection of department heads. The legislation aims to shift from a system based primarily on seniority and academic titles to one centered on skills, continuous evaluation, and meritocracy.

Under the new framework, the selection of department heads will involve a more structured process managed by ASEP, including written exams and oral assessments. A revised scoring system for these positions allocates 45% to formal qualifications, 30% to skill evaluation, and 25% to oral examinations. The reform also includes the modernization of the National Center for Public Administration and Local Government (EKDDA) and the potential integration of Artificial Intelligence for advisory purposes.

The bill passed with the support of the New Democracy party but faced strong opposition. Members of the opposition, including PASOK-KINAL and the KKE, voted against the measure, arguing that it does not constitute a true reform and could lead to politicization or a lack of transparency in the evaluation process.