Georgiadis decries cut in deputy pay

Following six years of deep recession and with an unemployment rate of about 27%, spare a thought for the poor Greek MP who must eke a living on…a mere 6,300 euros a month (after tax).

Spare a thought for poor Mr Georgiadis, the former Health Minister and current New Democracy parliamentary spokesperson, who felt the need to use time in the legislative chamber to bemoan the salary cuts that the poor MPs have been forced to bear.

While he graciously accepted that it had been right to cut back parliamentarians’ salaries at the height of the crisis, he could apparently maintain his stoicism no longer. He stated that members of parliament have suffered the biggest salary cuts of all in the public sector and that it is time for this egregious wrong to be corrected. (Of course he has seemingly forgotten about those who have been laid off and lost 100% of their salaries).

“Do you know how much we have cut? Over 50%. Just as it was excessive what was going on before the crisis, so too is that which is happening today,” Mr Georgiadis said, apparently sound of mind.  

He told the Parliamentary Speaker, Evangelos Meimarakis that they must “come out by ourselves, now that the country is returning to normalcy, to defend the institution of the Parliament which, in the middle of crisis, imposed upon itself the largest by percentage reduction in salaries than any other branch of the public sector.”

Pre crisis the basic take home salary for parliamentarians stood at 10,000 euros (after tax), which was boosted by additional payments to reward lawmakers for taking part in committees and performing other such difficult and taxing functions. This did not include the various perks, such as drivers and luxury government cars etc. Today the take home for parliamentarians does not exceed 6,300 euros.