Nikos Voutsis

A few days after an independent committee of experts issued a damning report on the state's response to wildfires over the years, Parliament Speaker Nikos Voutsis suggested that last summer's disastrous fires in eastern Attica should be the focus of a parliamentary investigation. 

Despite the government's insistence that general elections will take place as scheduled in October, the prospect of snap polls appears to be growing amid continuing political upheaval.

Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras's letter Monday to Parliament Speaker Nikos Voutsis, asking him to make no changes to House regulations relating to composition of parties (after being accused by the opposition of trying to save former coalition partner Independent Greeks leader Panos Kammenos) was tantamount to the confession of a failed machination to manipulate the parliamentary rulebook.

Greek lawmakers will debate the proposals on the revision of Greece's Constitution on February 12 and 13, House President Nikos Voutsis said on Tuesday, after receiving the report by the constitutional revision committee, the body responsible for examining the legislation.

This will give enough time to MPs and party rapporteurs to discuss the plan, he said.

Seeking to dispel accusations that the government was colluding with Parliament Speaker Nikos Voutsis to change House regulations in order to salvage the Independent Greeks (ANEL) parliamentary group, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras sent him a letter Monday asking him not to alter "even a punctuation mark."

Six Greek independent lawmakers who backed the government in a confidence vote on January 16 told Parliament President Nikos Voutsis they will approve any future legislation submitted by ruling SYRIZA, thus ensuring its majority in Parliament.

Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras on Monday wrote to Parliament Speaker Nikos Voutsis, asking him to make no changes to House regulations relating to composition of parties after being accused by the political opposition of trying to save former coalition partner, Independent Greeks (ANEL) leader Panos Kammenos.

A parliamentary committee was to convene at 2 p.m. on Monday to discuss planned changes to House regulations that would allow the junior partner Independent Greeks (ANEL) to keep its parliamentary group.

In comments ahead of the session, House Speaker Nikos Voutsis insisted that the aim was to boost parties, not to change the regulations.

Parliament Speaker Nikos Voutsis has played down a planned session of a House committee on Monday expected to discuss planned changes to House regulations that would allow the junior partner Independent Greeks (ANEL) to keep its parliamentary group.

Independent Greeks (ANEL) MP Thanasis Papachristopoulos did not give up his parliamentary seat on Friday, as he had announced a day earlier, after Parliament President Nikos Voutsis asked him to wait until lawmakers have voted on the NATO accession protocol for the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) next week.