By Penelope Galliou

Renewed, different and “unpredictable” outlines the new composition of the Parliament that opens the curtain today to welcome the new MPs who were elected by the elections of June 25 and who are today sworn in at the first solemn session. After the developments within SYRIZA as a result of the strong electoral defeat, but also the emergence of the new opposition parties on the far right of the ND, a new scenario is set where the ruling party dominates the seats while at the same time the opposition parties cannot be excluded from competing for the primacy in opposition tactics.

SYRIZA may retain the title of the official opposition, but its percentage collapse and the “shrinking” of its parliamentary strength are a challenge for PASOK of Nikos Androulakis, to take advantage of the internal party strife in Koumoundourou and claim to come forward. A challenge and opportunity, which neither the KKE nor the Freedom Movement is expected to let go to waste, as Zoe Konstantopoulou has already stated, which allows the “known ambushes” of the parliament.

The difficult position of the official opposition is intensified by the fact that SYRIZA, due to the reduced number of its deputies reaching 48, has lost the strongest parliamentary weapon that the opposition traditionally has before the government, which is the filing of a motion of censure. However, it is not the only advantage that the main opposition is losing in this Parliament, due to the weakening of SYRIZA.

There are also a number of other parliamentary “tools” of opposition, such as e.g. the proposal to set up a commission of inquiry for a case which requires 60 signatures, like other parliamentary procedures of control of the government, which in order to be activated now requires the cooperation of all the parties of the centre-left and left wing, pushing all the parties maybe not by type, but by of the essence to sit on equal terms at the same table and draw up common opposition tactics in the new Parliament as the case may be.

A similar picture cannot be ruled out by the three parties on the right of the ND, with the Hellenic Solution, the Spartans and Niki having to compete for the reins of the nationalist front but even to move “cooperating” for a possible common front against the government.

The new “compartment” of the now eight-party Parliament sends ambiguous and for some worrying messages, regarding the climate that is expected to prevail, a fact that further strengthened the Prime Minister’s decision to renew the term of Konstantinos Tassoulas as the Speaker of the Parliament, given of the situation that prevailed in the Parliament during the past four years, which was considered much more smooth and consensual compared to previous turbulent periods.

However, in addition to Mr. Tasoula, who is called upon to orchestrate the meetings of the new Parliament and prevent any extremes, contradictions or deviations, the new Minister of State with responsibility for parliamentary work, Makis Voridis, will also have a special role. In essence, the new “role” of Mr. Voridis will be to represent the Prime Minister in the Parliament when he is prevented from attending, while he will also have the role of “unifier” of the governmental work during the process of the intergovernmental dialogue in the submission of bills.

The swearing in

The convocation of the ceremonial opening session of the new Parliament will take place at 11:00 in the morning, in the presence of the President of the Republic Katerina Sakellaropoulou, presided over by the First Vice-President of the previous Parliament, Nikitas Kaklamanis, while tomorrow Tuesday, the Parliament will meet for the election of its president Parliament of the Greeks and then the vice-presidents, deans and secretaries, according to the proposals of their parliamentary groups.