A midsummer night’s draft amendment that would have excluded the presidents, CEOs and managing directors of various state-owned entities – and their subsidiaries – from a monthly salary ceiling of 4,631 euros was hastily withdrawn by the leftist-rightist coalition government on Thursday after a firestorm of criticism.
The draft amendment also included state-owned and managed utilities whose shares have been transferred to a so-called “super fund”, a holding company for Greek state assets, itself a memorandum-mandated obligation, and assuming the latter employ more than 3,000 people or have a turnover exceeding 100 million euros per year.
In withdrawing the amendment from Parliament debate and a subsequent vote, Deputy Economy Minister Katerina Papanatsiou referred to a “problem in the wording” of the draft legislation, which was entirely composed by her ministry.
The prospect of lifting the salary cap for top executives at state-owned enterprises raised high-pitched reactions by the political opposition and made headlines.
Moreover, the timing behind the tabling of the amendment, coming during the usually slow-moving summer Parliament session, also proved ill-timed, as it emerged during the same week as a deadly wildfire in eastern Attica prefecture claimed scores of lives.
“At moment when Greeks are mourning their dead, the government attempted to raise the salaries of those it appointed… by as much as 2,850 euros (per month). Withdrawal of the amendment, amid reactions by the opposition and press, is an admission of guilt,” a statement by main opposition New Democracy (ND) read.
