The latest scandal that broke out in the Greek parliament is connected neither with corruption nor with the financial crisis, but with the negligee attire of deputies.
The chairman of the commission on ethics at the National Assembly, Christos Markogiannakis, made a sharp remark to his colleagues, who attend the plenary sessions in baggy shirts, modern torn jeans and indiscreetly visible tattoos.
The reports of the National Assembly show that the parliamentary group of the left holds the lead in informal attire. Jackets and ties are rarely seen in it as they are considered a symbol of restriction of the free spirit. Liana Kanelli from the Greek Communist Party, on the hand, has been trying for years to impose sweatshirts as the formal attire in parliament.
In recent months, the strong boys from Golden Dawn have not been trying to hide their tattooed biceps and the female deputies of PASOK are notorious for their provocative low-necked dresses and short skirts. Despite the conservative nature of New Democracy, there are shocking exceptions among the blue deputies too, who stand out with bad taste in the halls of parliament. Such is the case of the people’s representative Georgia Martinou, who does not hesitate to jump over the banks in the hall as if she is at the stadium.
Christos Markogiannakis notes with nostalgia that the dress code was much more restrained and appropriate five years ago compared with the trends that have been recently imposed. "Deputies cannot attend the parliamentary plenum in baggy shirts. It's about respect for the institution they represent," says the chairman of the commission on ethics. According to him, today's deputies have overstepped all bounds of decency as reported by Ethnos.
The new dress code is expected to introduce a ban on coming to parliament in jeans, short sleeve shirts and visible tattoos for men. The sexy apparel of female deputies will also be considered inappropriate. The issue was raised in parliament last year but without particular success.
The commission on ethics is trying to pass stricter control over the language used by deputies in their speeches. The use of insulting epithets and slang remarks has also become more frequent, which is an obstacle for the work of stenographers. As parliamentary observers comment, one of the most common remarks by the chairman of the parliament recently has become "Do not register that."