Anti-racism bill to dominate leaders' meeting

Samaras to hold talks with Venizelos and Kouvelis

Prime Minister Antonis Samaras will discuss the proposed anti-racism legislation with junior coalition leaders Evangelos Venizelos and Fotis Kouvelis

Coalition government leaders: ND's Antonis Samaras (C), Pasok's Evangelos Venizelos (R) and Democratic Left's Fotis Kouvelis A much-debated anti-racism draft bill will be the subject of two government meetings on Monday, one between Prime Minister Antonis Samaras and junior coalition leaders Evangelos Venizelos and Fotis Kouvelis and the other between Venizelos and Justice Minister Antonis Roupakiotis, who drafted the proposed legislation.
Venizelos will meet with Roupakiotis at 2.30pm before participating in talks with Samaras and Kouvelis at the Maximos Mansion at 6pm.
Junior coalition partners Pasok and Democratic Left have repeatedly called for the bill to be submitted to parliament for approval and have expressed their frustration over New Democracy's attempts to freeze the process.
Earlier in the week, New Democracy officials said that existing legislation is sufficient to deal with antiracism issues and that a tailored law on hate speech would violate the constitutional right to freedom of expression.
The bill would outlaw incitement against people because of their race, religion, ethnicity or sexual orientation, and impose jail sentences of up to six years on offenders, according to reports.
MPs would not be excluded and parties that receive public funding would see it suspended if their leaders publicly denied the Holocaust, took part in racist attacks or used Nazi salutes or symbols in parliament.
Addressing Pasok's central political committee on Saturday, Venizelos called for an “evaluation of the operation of the government and of those serving in it”.