Yvette Jarvis Special Advisor to the Mayor Immigration Athens, Greece FORUM ON MINORITIES National Practices and Real Experiences: Existing Mechanisms providing for Political Participation of Minorities In the case of Greece we must first consider that Greece does not recognize Minorities in the manner expressed for our purposes due to sensitive geopolitical issues in the Northern part of Greece Thrace & Macedonia. For our discussion I will use the term immigrant as understood in the context of Greek law. Political participation in Greece is contingent on citizenship. Immigrants are unable to participate effectively from governmental positions as a result of this. A cohesive national plan detailing said participation does not exist at the moment and any political discussion is done solely as lobbying groups consisting of immigrant communities, NGO’s and Civil Society organizations. The ability of immigrants to join political parties with active and effective participation is limited. The first parties to accept immigrant participation were Leftist parties like the Communist Party of Greece and the central Left Synaspismos. These parties however do not make up a majority and have little or no success at gaining that majority so as to effect legislation nationally setting policy etc. In 2005, the president of the Socialist party PASOK, Mr. George Papandreou, today’s newly elected Prime Minister set precedent by formally opening up the party to immigrant memberships. In a daring move for one of the 2majority parties he invited them to participate in the party’s National Secretariat.