Greek MP Hires Daughter, Causes Public Outcry

By Stella Tsolakidou

ATHENS – New Democracy Member of Parliament Byron Polydoras has struck a nerve with the appointment of his daughter as a permanent employee in his temporary office before the May 6 elections that failed to yield a government, although he said he did nothing wrong and lawmakers are allowed to hire whomever they want.
Amidst the 23.1 percent jobless rate in a country suffering under an ongoing recession, the move has outraged many Greeks who criticized him for what they said was a provocative patronage hire, although it’s a common practice among Greek politicians. Polydoras was a one-day Parliament speaker after the first round of elections as the body met only briefly before dissolving. He used his time, however, to put his daughter on the payroll and that’s still reverberating with Greeks.

According to Reuters, local media scolded the “immoral” move, and public anger was expressed on a Facebook website calling on the MP to resign. Polydoras defended himself by pointing out that it was within his rights and jurisdiction to hire his daughter since she holds three Master’s Degrees, speaks four languages and could prove valuable. Civil servants cannot be fired under the Greek constitution, which has led to countless complaints of people getting hired because of their connections to high ranking officials and politicians instead of their qualifications.