The Hellenic Parliament has passed the Ministry of National Defense’s bill titled “Regulations on the Health Sector of the Armed Forces and Other Provisions”, which includes a controversial clause concerning the Church of Crete.
The bill was approved solely by government MPs, as all opposition parties voted against it.
The 15-hour parliamentary session concluded with Defense Minister Nikos Dendias reassuring lawmakers and the public that “there will be no mergers of military hospitals, no privatizations, and no alteration of their existing character.”
“What we are pursuing is their improvement within this framework, to address dysfunctions they currently cannot meet,” Dendias emphasized.
The bill’s provision concerning the Church of Crete has sparked significant controversy. The Church issued a statement accusing the government of interfering in the process of electing a new Metropolitan of Kydonia and Apokoronas.
The government, through Education Minister Sofia Zacharaki, deflected the criticism, claiming that the provision was introduced at the request of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, and that the government does not interfere in ecclesiastical procedures.
Government spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis earlier in the day dismissed the claims of interference as “science fiction,” categorically denying any involvement by the state in the ecclesiastical election process in Chania.
