Sweeping changes to the entire institutional framework for the election, governance, and operation of municipalities and regions are expected to be promoted by Mr. Thodoris Livanios next autumn with the submission to Parliament of the new Code for Local Government Organizations.

The main changes bring a radical revision to the way the next local elections of 2028 will be conducted, as they foresee the election of mayors and regional governors in one Sunday, with the abolition of the second round and the activation of the alternative vote.

How It Will Work

According to the proposed changes presented by Mr. Livanios to the Cabinet last Friday, the local elections in the country’s 332 municipalities and 13 regions will be held consistently every 5 years, in one round, on the last Sunday of November.

Voters will mark their preference for the slate, the mayor or regional governor, and their respective councilors, just as they did until now. However, at the bottom of the ballot, the remaining slates will be listed in order of nomination, so that the voter, if desired, may cast an alternative – supplementary – vote.

After the close of the ballot box, counting will be conducted in the same way as in the 2023 elections. If the slate with the most votes surpasses 42%, then the mayor or regional governor is elected immediately, securing at least 3/5 of the seats. In this case, the alternative vote is not taken into account. If no slate surpasses the 42% threshold, the second phase of counting is immediately activated.

Second Phase

In the second phase, the top two slates – those that would have advanced to the second Sunday under the old system – are considered. To the votes they have already gathered, the alternative votes they may have received from voters whose first-choice slates did not qualify for the second phase are added. The winner will be the slate that has the most votes across both electoral phases.

Example

For example, let’s assume Slate A received 40%, Slate B 36%, and the remaining slates combined 24%.

Assume that from the 24% of the others, 5% gave their alternative vote to Slate A, 10% to Slate B, and the remaining 10% chose no one. The final tally gives Slate A a percentage of 45% and declares Slate B the winner with 46%.

As Interior Minister explains, the new election system serves the principles of enhanced democratic legitimacy while also addressing administrative and fiscal burdens and reducing the high abstention rate caused by the double election round.

According to data collected by the ministry’s competent services, on the second Sunday almost half of the voters who participated in the first round do not return to the polls. It is notable that in the City of Athens only 26.7% voted in the second round of the 2023 elections, 32.5% in Thessaloniki, and 44.5% in Patras.

Beyond this, the participation of non-resident voters becomes almost impossible when they have to travel hundreds of kilometers within a week, while it has been observed that a huge administrative burden is placed on local government services and court employees.

Electronic Voting

In addition, the ministry leadership plans to provide another tool to facilitate voters in exercising their right. After the successful introduction of postal voting in the 2024 European elections, Mr. Livanios is working on the introduction of the possibility of electronic voting in local elections for any voter who wishes, while maintaining the classic in-person voting option.

Transparency Rules

According to the new Code, the ministry aims to reduce the financial burden on slates and candidates by linking the cost of the relevant fee to the population of each municipality or region, rather than the number of candidates.

At the same time, strict rules of transparency and mechanisms for monitoring campaign expenses and candidates’ TV appearances are established. Additionally, there will be the possibility of appointing a specific number of municipal and regional councilors without a preference vote. This institution resembles the nationwide MPs and aims to attract capable scientists and reputable candidates who can contribute to local communities.

The ministry is also considering establishing a quota for the participation of more candidates under 30 years old, as well as abolishing the possibility of seconding elected public servants because of their election.

“Election is an act of offering to the community and should not be used as a vehicle for secondments, excessively weakening the staffing of public services,” ministry sources note.

Governance System Provisions

Among other things, the following are provided for:

• Mandatory public consultation for all regulatory acts before being introduced to the municipal or regional council.
• Exclusively electronic local referendums on municipal matters.
• Establishment of a service secretary position in municipalities with over 200,000 residents.
• Acceleration of decisions on legality control within 10 days.
• Retention of the municipal fee for covering utility services and introduction of a Local Development Fee (TTA), incorporating the municipal tax and the Property Fee (TAP). The TTA will be freely set by municipalities and used to cover all types of expenses and investment activities.
• Reintroduction of the preliminary review by the Court of Audit for warrants over €15,000.