While the Greek Parliament claims the austerity measures are compatible with the Constitution, the country’s Supreme Administrative Court decided they were ‘unconstitutional’ – at least some of them.
The pleanary of Supreme Court (Areios Pagos) unanimously ruled that the new cuts in judges’ and prosecutors’ wages were against the Greek Constitution.
Under the new austerity package, judges’s and prosecutors’ wages will be cut by 19%-24%.
The decision of Supreme Court is not binding for the government, however it can ease the way for legal appeals.
From what KTG-knows, according to Greek Constitution, the wages for judicial personnel are bound to the wages of Members of the Parliament and vice versa. The austerity bill does not foresee equivalent cuts for the 300 MPs as for the judges.
The wages of judiciary are bound to the wages of legislative and executive governance powers of the Greek state.
I remember very well the case where some 100 retired MPs demanded to receive retrospective pension raises after judges and prosecutors did so. However, it was a matter of morals for the MPs to demand these amounts, when the country was sinking in debt. Nevertheless, while some MPs withdrew their demands, there is still a number of MPs insisting on their claims. This must have been may a year ago.
PS so far there is just very short news on the issue and the Supreme Court reasoning has not become public yet. So check for updates.
Maybe this is the time that the People of Greece should demand some real austerity, where it is needed and will actually have a posstiveeffect. Greeks should insist on MPs wages being bound to the minimum wage and vica versa… That would then take care of judges, prosecutors and all the others who have their wages bound to the MPs wage, no?
Let me see if I understand this correctly. Wages Cuts for Judges & Prosecutors Against Constitution because the same does not apply in the same amount to MPs. And a couple of months ago (or was it really already a year?) MPs protested that cuts in their retirement allowances were unconstitutional because that did not apply to Judges and Prosecutors?
And everything else is unconstitutional because the constitution constitutes a unconstitutional breach of the rights of millions of Greeks? 😕
Whatever it is… My advise? Tear up that piece of paper that is only used to safeguard the vested interests and used by those same people as mere toilet paper as soon as an ordinary Greek wants what is his in the first place.
(BTW How many Supreme Courts does Greece have??!! Wasn’t one, like in most boring civilized countries not enough??)
I will answer this later, must eat now lol
Eat?! 😮 Don’t you have a demo to live blog on??? There IS a demo, isn’t there?
It’s stories like this that make me glad we moved to the states in 1967. I thought americans were stupid but now…I just can’t believe how stupid the non unionized greek people are. It’s time to take back your country from the corrupt leaders I’m retiring in 10 years but it looks like I’ll retire to Arizona instead of Greece.