Prime Minister Lucas Papademos has followed in the path of President Carolos Papoulias by giving up his salary to help ease Greece’s debt burden, a government source said on Thursday. “It was personal decision, the PM did not feel that it had to be announced,” the official, who declined to be identified, told AFP. Ta Nea daily said Papademos, a former vice-president of the European Central Bank, made the revelation on Wednesday during a visit to Brussels where finance ministers are to discuss a new bailout for Athens worth 130 billion euros ($175 billion). “Not even his associates knew this,” the daily said. Papademos’ office was unable to give details on the level of his salary.
On Wednesday, the finance ministry released a list of its best-paid public servants, including the prime minister, which it said are entitled to salaries of more than 5,000 euros ($6,700) a month. Deputy finance minister Filippos Sachinidis released the information in response to a parliamentary question, the semi-state Athens News Agency said. The list of pre-tax monthly salaries of over 5,000 euros includes President Papoulias, Papademos, cabinet ministers, junior ministers and parliament lawmakers.
