The government of Greece is a parliamentary republic built on the 1975 Constitution, with power divided among a 300-seat Parliament, a Prime Minister who leads the Cabinet, a President who serves mainly as a ceremonial head of state, and an independent judiciary. Parliament sits at the center: it makes the laws, approves the budget, controls the government, and elects the President.
Parliament Holds the Legislative Power
The Hellenic Parliament (Vouli ton Ellinon) is unicameral. The Constitution permits between 200 and 300 members, and current law fixes the number at 300.1Hellenic Parliament. Frequently Asked Questions MPs serve up to four consecutive years, after which the President must call new elections within 30 days.2Constitute Project. Greece 1975 (rev. 2008) Constitution
Parliament drafts and passes laws, approves the state budget, and ratifies international treaties. It supervises the executive through standing committees and plenary questioning of ministers, and it elects the President of the Republic.
The Prime Minister and Cabinet Run the Country
The Prime Minister is the most powerful figure in Greek politics and leads the Cabinet, formally the Council of Ministers. Under Article 37 of the Constitution, the President appoints the leader of the party holding an absolute majority of parliamentary seats as Prime Minister.3Hellenic Parliament. The Constitution of Greece
When no party wins a majority outright, a structured process begins. The leader of the largest party gets a three-day exploratory mandate to build a coalition that can win parliamentary confidence. If that attempt fails, the second-largest party’s leader gets three days, then the third-largest. If none succeed, the President calls all party leaders in for a last attempt. If that too collapses, the President appoints the head of one of the three supreme courts to lead a caretaker cabinet whose only task is to hold new elections, and Parliament is dissolved.3Hellenic Parliament. The Constitution of Greece
Once in office, the Prime Minister proposes the appointment and dismissal of Cabinet members. The Cabinet sets policy across foreign affairs, defense, the economy, and domestic governance, and directs the public services that carry that policy out.
The President Is a Ceremonial Head of State
Parliament elects the President of the Hellenic Republic for a five-year term, with a single re-election permitted.4Presidency of the Hellenic Republic. Election of the President Because the legislature rather than the public chooses the President, the office sits above ordinary politics and represents national unity.
Almost every presidential act requires the countersignature of the relevant minister to take effect, which keeps real decision-making with the elected government. The President’s formal duties include appointing the Prime Minister, promulgating laws Parliament has passed, and serving as nominal commander-in-chief of the armed forces.
When the President Can Dissolve Parliament
Dissolution is available only in narrow situations. The most common is a failed government-formation process. The President may also dissolve Parliament at the request of a government that already holds a vote of confidence, if the government argues that a new mandate is needed on a matter of extraordinary national importance. An automatic dissolution follows when Parliament fails to elect a new President after three rounds of voting. The Constitution allows dissolution only once per year for the same reason.2Constitute Project. Greece 1975 (rev. 2008) Constitution
The Courts Interpret the Law
The judiciary is constitutionally independent and splits into two main branches: civil and criminal courts on one side, administrative courts on the other. Three supreme courts sit at the top.
- Areios Pagos is the Supreme Civil and Criminal Court, reviewing lower-court decisions for errors in applying the law.5Areios Pagos. Areios Pagos – History
- The Council of State (Symvoulio tis Epikrateias) is the supreme administrative court, resolving disputes between citizens and public authorities and hearing challenges to government decisions and regulations.6Hellenic Republic – Greece in the USA. Judicial Power
- The Court of Auditors (Elegktiko Synedrio) audits state spending, reviews high-value government contracts, and examines the accounts of public entities and local authorities.
Greek courts may examine whether a law violates the Constitution, but only within a specific case before them. There is no separate constitutional court that can strike down legislation in the abstract.
How Elections Work
Greece uses reinforced proportional representation, designed to give the leading party enough of an edge to govern without depending on fragile coalitions. A party must clear a 3% national vote threshold to win any seats.7IFES Election Guide. Greece
The Seat Bonus
Under the system used in the most recent elections, the party with the most votes nationally receives a flat 50-seat bonus on top of its proportional share. Because 151 seats out of 300 form an absolute majority, that bonus makes single-party government possible with well under 40% of the vote.8ACE Electoral Knowledge Network. Bonus Seats to Largest Party in Greek Election
Starting with the next scheduled election, expected in 2027, the bonus becomes a sliding scale. The winning party must receive at least 25% of the national vote to qualify for any bonus. At that threshold it receives 20 extra seats, gaining one more seat for every 0.5 percentage point above 25%, up to the same maximum of 50. A party would need roughly 40% of the vote to earn the full bonus under the new formula.7IFES Election Guide. Greece
Who Votes and How
Voting is compulsory under Article 51(5) of the Constitution for all registered voters, though the requirement is waived for those over 70 and for voters who were abroad on election day.9gov.gr. Compulsory Voting Penalties for not voting are rarely enforced in practice. The minimum voting age is 17, lowered from 18 by a 2016 amendment. Greek citizens living abroad can vote at designated polling stations in their host countries for European Parliament elections and national referendums.
Independent Authorities Provide Oversight
Greece’s constitutional framework reaches beyond the classic three branches. The Constitution and various laws establish independent authorities that guard transparency, protect rights, and hold the public sector accountable. They sit outside the normal chain of government command and have their own guarantees of independence.
The Greek Ombudsman
The Ombudsman (Synigoros tou Politi), established by Article 103 of the Constitution, mediates between citizens and the state. When an agency delays, applies a rule unfairly, or acts arbitrarily, citizens can file a complaint. The Ombudsman can request documents, take witness statements, and conduct on-site inspections. Findings are not legally binding, but any public body that ignores them must publicly justify the decision. The Ombudsman also acts as the national mechanism for investigating complaints of arbitrary behavior by police, coast guard, fire brigade, and prison staff.
The National Transparency Authority
Established by Law 4622/2019, the National Transparency Authority is a single independent body focused on preventing and prosecuting corruption in the public and private sectors. It audits government agencies, hospitals, and local authorities, and its Governor submits an annual report to Parliament’s Committee on Institutions and Transparency.10National Transparency Authority. Home The Hellenic Data Protection Authority and the Competition Commission are among the other independent bodies.
Regional and Local Government
Greece is a unitary state, so all governing authority flows from the central government in Athens. Administrative functions are spread across three tiers of subnational governance set up by the Kallikratis reform (Law 3852/2010):
- Seven decentralized administrations, extensions of the central government headed by appointed officials who coordinate state services at the regional level.
- Thirteen regions (peripheries), each with an elected governor and regional council handling planning, development, and regional public services.
- 325 municipalities, the basic unit of local self-government, where elected mayors and councils handle water supply, waste management, local roads, and other everyday services.
The distinction between the decentralized administrations and the elected regions matters. Decentralized administrations answer to the central government and supervise local authorities for legal compliance. Elected regional and municipal governments have their own democratic mandate and some administrative and financial autonomy, though their powers remain far more limited than those of states in a federal system like Germany or the United States.11European Committee of the Regions. Greece