Greek prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis met on Friday with the Archbishop of Australia, Makarios, at the PM’s residence in Athens, Maximos Mansion.
The prime minister and Mr Makarios discussed the work of the Archdiocese, for which Kyriakos Mitsotakis reiterated his support and appreciation. The charitable and social work of the church was highlighted, as well as its contribution to maintaining the bonds between the Diaspora and Greece.
At the beginning of the meeting, the prime minister noted that in the forthcoming elections Greeks living abroad will for the first time have the opportunity to vote from their place of residence.
The number of Greeks in Australia who have the ability to vote following the registration process is very small due to the many restrictions that have been imposed by the legislated process.
“For the first time, I must tell you, you already know that in these elections, some people – we wanted more of them, but unfortunately the restrictions of the law do not allow it – will be given the opportunity to vote from their permanent place of residence,” Kyriakos Mitsotakis told the Archbishop.
“It is a commitment for me, I want to convey to you, if the Greek people trust us and we manage to find the necessary two-thirds majority, to simplify this system even more, so that anyone who is registered on an electoral roll in Greece can participate in the electoral process, without unnecessary bureaucracy. That is what we wanted to do this time too. Unfortunately, it was not possible because some parties reacted. We achieved the minimum possible, but next time we will do more,” the prime minister added.
“We are all confident and we are waiting for it,” Makarios noted for his part.
