Unequal Democracy Greece: The well-off male in his sixties who represents you in Parliament

A new study titled 'Greece: Who (not) has a seat in the Parliament?', produced by the Institute for Social Democracy – InSocial and the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) and conducted by Jenny Mavropoulou, PhD candidate at Panteion University, shows that today’s Greek Parliament is dominated by older, well-educated men from the upper social classes. Presented at an event at ESIEA, the analysis reveals the near absence of young people, the persistent underrepresentation of women, and the overwhelming dominance of MPs from privileged socio-economic backgrounds.

Key Findings

Demographic profile:
The typical MP emerging from the June 2023 elections is a man over 60, university-educated or holding a postgraduate degree, and originating from a higher social class. Many have prior experience in local government, forming a cohort of “career politicians” largely detached from the realities of average Greek society.

Age representation:
The age imbalance is dramatic. No MP is under 30. Only 25 MPs fall within the 30–39 bracket. Another 28.8% are between 40 and 49. The majority of Parliament consists of MPs aged 60 and above. Researchers highlighted this as a long-standing structural distortion: younger generations—whose lives are profoundly shaped by parliamentary decisions—lack any direct voice.

Gender imbalance:
Despite the 40% gender quota on candidate lists, only 69 women were elected in 2023, amounting to 23% of Parliament. Left and center-left parties show greater balance: Plefsi Eleftherias has 50% women MPs, and the New Left 45.5%. New Democracy lags significantly, with women making up only 19.3% of its parliamentary group. Female MPs tend to be highly educated, yet this has not translated into proportional representation.

Social class and economic background:
Class representation is even more skewed. According to the study, 87% of MPs (255)** come from the upper socio-economic strata. Only 18 MPs (6.1%)** identify as working class, and 20 (6.9%)** as lower class. Working-class MPs appear mainly in the KKE and Greek Solution, with a handful from SYRIZA and Plefsi Eleftherias. Parliament, in effect, is dominated by the socially and economically advantaged.

Institutional and expert reactions:
Manina Kakepaki of the National Centre for Social Research noted that Greece has one of the highest age thresholds for parliamentary eligibility in Europe—25 years, shared only with Italy—while most European countries allow candidacy from 18. This institutional barrier alone inhibits political renewal.  
PASOK deputy spokesperson Olga Markogiannaki warned that Parliament is “losing touch with society,” creating the image of a “gentlemen’s club” where half the population—women and young people—fail to see themselves represented.  
Michael Jennewein from Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung and coordinator of the series 'Unequal Democracies', a project on parliamentary composition, emphasized that democracy requires constant renewal. Comparing Greece with eight other countries, he noted that the Greek pattern does not deviate sharply from European averages, though the risks to representation are evident.

The study concludes that Greece’s Parliament remains disproportionately male, aging, and socio-economically elite. Substantive reforms are needed to broaden participation and ensure that young people, women, and workers are not excluded from democratic life.

Media coverage:

https://www.news247.gr/politiki/o-efkatastatos-60aris-pou-se-ekprosopei-stin-vouli/

https://www.topontiki.gr/2025/11/12/nei-ginekes-ke-ergatiki-taxi-i-megali-apontes-apo-ti-simerini-elliniki-vouli/ 

https://www.in.gr/2025/11/12/politics/politiki-grammateia/vouli-kai-vouleytes-makria-apo-tin-koinonia-yperekprosopisi-tis-anoteris-taksis-eksafanismeni-ergatiki-taksi/ 

https://www.newsbomb.gr/politikh/story/1693806/vouli-andres-ano-ton-60-i-pleiopsifia-ton-voulefton-neoi-gynaikes-kai-ergates-oi-megaloi-apontes 

https://www.politic.gr/politiki/analyontas-ti-synthesi-tis-voulis-yperekprosopisi-tis-anoteris-taxis-kai-ypoekprosopisi-tis-ergatikis-taxis/ 

https://www.iefimerida.gr/politiki/neoi-gynaikes-kai-ergatiki-taxi-apontes-apo-ti-boyli 

https://www.parapolitika.gr/politiki/article/1638556/neoi-gunaikes-kai-ergatiki-taxi-oi-megaloi-apodes-apo-to-simerino-koinovoulio-ti-edeixe-meleti-tou-institoutou-friedrich-ebert-stiftung/

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