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What if the average Greek pensioner is struggling to make ends meet with a monthly pension of 400, 500 or 600 euros? Greek lawmakers who most probably voted in favor of pension cuts in the first and second bailout agreement now vehemently demand restoration of their pensions which are normally much higher than of the average Greek of private sector.
Retired MPs claim pension returns for 127 months and this could grant each one an amount totaling between 230,000 and 360,000 euros.
According to daily eleftheros typos, the MPs have filed lawsuits against high-ranking members of the unified pension fund EFKA, claiming that they are responsible for the non-implementation of the pension returns as ruled by courts in 2016.
The claim for the retroactive pension returns does not derive from the pension cuts imposed with the bailout agreements. Parliamentary pensions were not cut by implementation of the bailouts.
The problem is a law provision from 2008, which increased the salaries for the Presidents of Supreme courts with the consequence that also the salaries of the MPs should be increased as stated in the Constitution.
In other words, since the wages of judges have increased, both the salaries and the pensions of MPs have increased as well.
The retired MPs demanded their pensions equitation already in 2009. Their demand was dismissed and they appealed to the Court of Auditors that ruled in favor of more than 200 MPs with an appeal decision in 2016.
The court decision was not implemented and the retired MPs proceeded to lawsuits against the EFKA employees.
If the state pension fund implements the court decision, MPs could retroactive amounts of €2,080 to €3,494 for each month and for a period of up to 127 months.
It should be noted that the Greek state pays a fine of 3,000 euros per month for each month it does not implement final court decisions. No wonder, the state cut by 50% the interest rate it should pay for paying its debts to citizens and businesses with delay.
PS The retired MPs’ claim confirms for one more time that some Greeks live in their own bubble of a world, still after 10 crisis years. They have forgotten that ‘greed is a sin’.
The post Retired MPs claim €230,000-€360,000 each in pension returns appeared first on Keep Talking Greece.
