They want their change back retrospectively…

They are claiming tens of millions of euros

 

MPs from PASOK and ND are seeking tens of millions of euros from the empty state coffers at a time when the Greek people is being hit by the toughest austerity measures in its history.

While the majority of Greeks, literally finds it very difficult and in many cases is unable to provide even for the essentials, 117 former and retired MPs of both major parties claim back debts - even with the appropriate statutory interest- because of the non-indexation of their wages to those of the respective earnings of the supreme judges.

In their lawsuits, they claim that "they unlawfully did not receive increases after the increase in the salaries of magistrates."

The case is relatively old, as already in 2006 by decision of the wagecourt, the salaries of presidents of the three great courts of the country (Areios Pagos, the State Council and the Auditors’ Court), were assimilated to the salary of the president of the National Committee of Telecommunications and Post Offices (EETT), which then amounted to about 9,500 euros.

According to the former MPs the equation of salaries of the presidents of the Supreme Courts with that of the chairman of EETT automatically brought immediate and corresponding change in their wages as well.

The 117 former MPs also invoke articles 26, 87 and 88 of the constitution, which establish the principle of separation of the three functions (legislative, executive and judicial), which together are equivalent and equal. And they also claim compensation for moral damage!

Several of these lawsuits will be discussed in the Athens Administrative Court during this week, while others were postponed for February 2012.

According to APE, a similar small number of lawsuits is pending at the Administrative Court of Appeals, while a much larger is "frozen" at the Auditors Court.

The former PASOK MPs in the list of the 117 that are claiming millions of euros are: Al. Akrivakis, John Anthopoulos, Eleni Anousaki, Pan. Antonakopoulos, G. Anomeritis, Maria Arseni, Yannis Vathias, Io. Vainas, V. Vasilakakis, Il. Vlachopoulos, Ch. Vosnakis, Alex. Voulgaris, Dimitrios Georgakopoulos, Ioan. Giannakopoulos, Moshos Gikonoglou, GkalipGkalip, Zorba (MEP), Christos Theodorou, Yannis Thomopoulos, Lambros Kanellopoulos, Th. Katsanevas, Eleonora - Nora Katseli - Kalogeropoulos, Ioan. Capsis, Th. Koliopanos, Eft. Kontomaris, Vas. Kontogiannopoulos (1974-1993 ND and 1996-2000 PASOK), Sokr. Kosmidis, Th. Kotsonis, Dim. Koulourianos (MEP), Constantine Floros, E. Loukakis, Anastasios. Mandelis, Alex. Baltas, Athan. Batsos, Fragk. Papadellis, Elisavet Papazoi, Il. Papailias, Vas. Papanikolas, Ch. Smyrlis - Liakatas, Ioan. Souladakis, Sot. Stolidis, Leon. Tzanis, Ioan. Tsaklidis, Pant. Tsertikidis, Vas. Tsilikis, Apost. Tsohatzopoulos, Pan. Fotiadis, Alex. Chryssanthakopoulos and Anast. Choremis.

From ND: Nik. Angelopoulos, Pan. Adraktas, Th. Anagnostopoulos, A. Andreoulakos, Ioannis Valinakis, Dim. Galamatis, Stav. Dailakis, Georg. Deiktakis, Theof. Dimoschakis, Petr. Dukas, Elef. Zagoritis, Sophia Kalantzakou, Il. Kallioras, G. Kalos, Krinio Kanellopoulou, Anast. Karamarios, Ant. Karpouzas, Th. Kasimis, Nik. Katsaros, Th. Katsikis, Stav. Keletsis, Kefaloyiannis, Athena Korka – Konsta, Vas. Korkolopoulos, Io. Kosmidis (MEP), Andr. Koutsoubas, G. Konstantopoulos, Theof. Leontaridis, Mich. Liapis, Anast. Liaskos, Leon. Lymperakidis, Aria Manousou-Binopoulou, Petr. Mantouvalos, Pan. Melas, Ant. Bezas, Mich. Bekiris, Nik. Nikolopoulos, G. Orfanos, V. Pappas, Arist. Pavlidis, Io. Plakiotakis, Adam Regkouzas, G. Salagoudis, Dim. Sampaziotis, P. Skandalakis, Th. Soldatos, Sp. Spiliotopoulos, Arist. Stathakis, Nik. Stavrogiannis, Apost. Stavrou, Petr. Tatoulis, Iord. Tzamtzis, Nik. Tsiartsionis, Kon. Tsiplakou, Arist. Tsiplakos, Savvas Tsitouridis, G. Tsournos, Parthena Fountoukidou-Theodoridou, Ant. Fousas, Chr. Folias, Il. Fotiadis and Eyg. Haitidis.

A lawsuit had also been filed by the widow Panagiotis Kosionis, who was an MP for Synaspismos (’89-’93) and KKE (’93-’94), but she resigned in the process. Same thing happened with Mih. Liapis and Leon. Tzanis.

A lawsuit has been filed by former DHKKI MEP Emm. Bakopoulos and former MP Geor. Papageorgiou as well, but things are still unclear in his case as we don’t know in which of the two major parties he belonged since they both had MPs with the same name. Some MPs have even filed two different lawsuits for different parliamentary periods: I. Vainas, Myrsini Zorba, Emm. Loukakis and Sot. Stolidis.

Former ND MP Savas Tsitouridis says he is stunned by finding his name in the list, arguing he does not care for such claims: "It was with surprise that I saw my name included on a list of MPs and former MPs who are claiming back payments by the Greek government. I have refrained from such claims from the Greek parliament since March 2010."