Politic of Greece

Greece is a parliamentarian presidential democracy. The president of the democracy (a republic) is the regulator of their political system. He or she is elected by the parliament every 5 years by nominal vote and shares the legislative power of the country with the deputies and the executive power with the government. To be eligible to stand for election, a candidate must be a politician of Greek nationality, be over forty years of age and must not have lost his eligibility (through having a criminal record, for example).

In order to win the presidential election, the candidate must receive the vote of at least 180 of the 300 deputies of the Greek parliament.

The Greek parliament (House of Deputies) is composed of 300 deputies elected for a four-year period by the direct universal suffrage of the Greek people. In order for a party to govern, they must obtain more than 150 seats in parliament. If no party manages this, the party having obtained the most votes has three days to form a coalition with another party and thus obtain the 150 seats required. If they cannot do this in the time allotted, it is the turn of the second party who will be elected if they manage to form a coalition to obtain the necessary number of seats.

The Prime Minister of Greece was elected as head of the political party which obtained a majority of seats in parliament. During the last few weeks there has been much excitement in Greece, as at every election period. The next parliamentary elections (and at the same time those of the Prime Minister) will take place on 7 March and, Greece being the cradle of democracy, everyone is very preoccupied with the political future of the country. The universities, which are already extremely politically implicated, turn into giant stands for the political parties, as does every street corner in Athens and the other large towns.

So, parliamentary elections take place every 4 years. Any Greek citizen of 18 and over on 1st January of the current year can vote. For example, if an election takes place on 7 March 2004, all those having attained their majority before 1 January 2004 will be able to vote. All citizens eligible to vote have an election card. Voting is obligatory and any citizen failing in their civic duty is liable to be prosecuted. Men and women voted in separate places and mixed voting only came in at the last elections. Election day lasts from sunrise to sunset and everyone goes to vote in a previously designated place (schools, town-halls etc.) in their own district.

Voting is nominative (although anonymous), and takes place in strict privacy. Every voter is given a list for each political party represented in their region of Greece and an envelope. The candidates for each political party are shown on that party’s list and the elector can put a cross against those that he wishes to elect or simply return the whole list.

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religion in Greece

Orthodox religion

Religion for Orthodox Greeks is a word which means "the true belief". 

Sunday mass can last up to 3 hours, but it is not customary to remain for the whole service. Men and women are separated. 

The priest officiates behind the iconostas, a wall covered in icons which hides the altar. To the right and left of the entrance, St. John the Baptist and the Virgin Mary show the way to Christ. Whereas the bishops remain celibate, the priests can marry and have children. They are easily spotted in their long black robes, with their long hair that they wear in a bun or a pony tail and a long beard which is a sign of maturity among the orthodox. The patriarch, or head, of the orthodox religion is in Istanbul in Turkey. There are many monasteries in Greece, the highest concentration of monks being found on Mount Athos where there are 1700 monks in the 20 monasteries there.

  Agios Stephanos, one of six monasteries of the Meteora in Greece

 Varlaam Monastery

 

 Varlaam Monastery

 Women and children are not allowed on Mount Athos.

The Greek Easter
Easter is the most important celebration for the Greeks.

 Families get together to share lamb roast on a spit.

The masses are particularly impressive. The celebrations last for several days, and even up to Ascension in certain villages, that is 40 days. On Easter Sunday children are given new clothes. At the beginning of Lent, children go to school in disguise and a big carnival is organized in the towns.

Hope you you enjoyed reading my post & found it useful 

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The Great Pyramid of Menkaure at Giza 

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