It’s not a secret that members of the Parliament, whether national or European, have a good time. Good salaries, benefits and juicy pensions. Even if they served “country and the public interest” for only two legislative periods. that is a maximum of 8 years. Of course, MPs and MEPs are chosen people in the name of the Greek Treasury, when one compares the pensioners of private sector, the little devils who worked for 30-35 years to go home with 600-700 EUR.
In Greece of loan agreements, austerity measures, unemployment and recession… yes, MPs have nothing to complain about. Especially former MPs and MEPs who receive an average pension of 2,200 EUR per month for being at least twice an elected lawmaker. Not to mention that many of them receive extra pensions from contributions they paid during their working years.
According to a report submitted to the Greek Parliament by deputy finance Minister Christos Staikouras
for the month of August a total of 1,492,704.99 EUR was paid for the pensions of 750 direct or indirect MPs and MEPs pensioners.
475 MPs and MEPs direct pensions: expenditure 1,037,148.79 EUR .
233 surviving MPs’ and MEPs’ spouses: expenditure 386,706.75 EUR.
42 children of deceased MPs and MEPs: expenditure 68,849.45 .
Overall, the number of pensioners is 750 and the monthly expenditure is 1,492,704.99 EUR.
To occational criticism, the Union of former MPs and MEPs has declared that the average pension after 17 years of being member of the parliament stands at 1,950 euro, while decreases – i.e. pension cuts – reached 50.4% after the beginning of the Greek debt crisis.
However it is interesting to note, that according to Staikouras’ data:
1,037,148.79 EUR divided by 475 MPs & MEPs makes a nice sum of 2,183 EUR per Parliament pensioner -and not 1,950 euro. Furthermore not all pensioners have served 17 years in the Parliament. Right to pension has every MP and MEP who has served two legislative periods – a total of 8 years if elections take place by the Book of Constitution.
The question about the pensions was submitted to Parliament by Golden Dawn MP Ilias Panagiotaros on the occasion of the appointment of former MP and EU commissioner Christos Papoutsis (PASOK) to World Bank. Among others, Panagiotaros asked whether Papoutsis was receiving an MEP and also an EU-commissioner pension and what was would be his income at the World Bank.
Staikouras’s answer to the question came in written form, however the details about Papoutsis income were omitted.
PS Meanwhile, it seems Papoutsis’ appointment was frozen due to a general outcry in the Greek public and opposition parties.
