A New Era for Public Sector Accountability Begins
The new year marks the rollout of a significantly stricter disciplinary framework for Greece’s public sector workforce. A comprehensive reform under law 5225/25 takes effect on 1 January 2026, redrawing the boundaries of professional responsibility and expanding the list of actions that constitute misconduct.
The legislative update strengthens penalties and broadens disciplinary categories, aligning them with modern standards of transparency and integrity across public administration.
Expanded List of Disciplinary Offenses
New categories of misconduct now include the failure to declare conflicts of interest, any form of workplace violence or harassment, delays in issuing dismissal confirmation documents and engagement in professional activities deemed incompatible with public service. A separate offense has been created for refusing to participate in the evaluation process either as evaluator or evaluatee.
Penalties for refusing evaluations escalate sharply, beginning with a fine equal to 2 months of salary for a single refusal and leading to permanent dismissal after 2 consecutive refusals during evaluation cycles.
The revised framework applies to employees in central government, local authorities of both levels and legal entities operating under public law.
Specific Measures for Municipal Staff and Municipal Police
Municipal employees now face disciplinary action if they decline to use mandated protective equipment such as gloves, helmets or masks or if they fail to attend preventive medical examinations. Serious responsibility is assigned to municipal authorities that do not provide these protective tools to eligible staff.
Municipal police officers may face sanctions for refusing to wear the official uniform and insignia during working hours.
New Penalties Added to the System
Three new disciplinary penalties have been introduced, widening the available range of sanctions. These include withholding eligibility for pay grade advancement for 1 to 5 years, removal of up to 4 pay grades and prohibition from serving as acting supervisor for 1 to 5 years.
Full Range of Disciplinary Penalties
The complete list of penalties, ranked in ascending order of severity, now includes:
Written reprimand
Fine of up to 12 months of salary
Restriction on eligibility for pay grade advancement for 1 to 5 years
Removal of up to 4 pay grades
Restriction on eligibility for promotion for 1 to 5 years
Restriction on participation in supervisor selection processes for 1 to 5 years
Removal from supervisory duties for all or part of a term and prohibition from holding supervisory duties for 1 to 5 years
Demotion by up to 2 ranks
Temporary suspension from 3 to 12 months with full loss of salary
Permanent dismissal
Maximum fines that disciplinary superiors can impose have also risen, with ministers now able to issue fines of up to 5 months of salary instead of the previous limit of 3 months.
Introduction of Disciplinary Settlement
A new mechanism known as disciplinary settlement allows employees under investigation to request a reduced penalty under specific conditions. This option applies to cases that do not involve permanent dismissal and where no financial harm has been caused or any damage has been fully restored by the employee.
New Disciplinary Council Takes Over from 2026
Cases initiated before the end of 2025 will continue under the jurisdiction of existing disciplinary bodies. From 2026 onward, responsibility shifts to the newly established Disciplinary Council of Public Sector Human Resources. The new council will be composed of 60 judges from the Legal Council of the State and will operate in three member and five member panels depending on the gravity of each case.
A special five member panel will examine particularly serious cases that generate public concern.
Reform Aims to Speed Up Justice and Increase Transparency
The overhaul is designed to standardize disciplinary procedures, enhance transparency and accelerate the issuance of decisions that previously could take up to 5 years. Data from the National Transparency Authority show 3,360 administrative inquiries still pending, including 77 cases dating back to 2021, while unresolved disciplinary cases involve more than 5,900 employees.
Existing primary and secondary disciplinary councils will be abolished in early 2027 and must complete all remaining cases from before 31 December 2025 by the end of 2026.
