In “Pothen Esches” by President Anastasiadis that he submitted to the Parliament on 15/9/2021, due to the completion of three years from the assumption of his office, in addition to the many questions that arise regarding the validity of the data he included in his statement, it is revealed and the following: Receives his parliamentary pension of € 4,080 per month, which was publicly waived in 2015 in order to be paid as a contribution directly from the General Accounting Office to the Independent Social Support Agency, whose President is the First Lady Andri Anastasiadis. The purpose of the establishment and operation of the Institution is to provide financial support to needy students.
The finding that the President receives from 2018 onwards his parliamentary pension (general accounting pension) results from the comparison of “Pothen Esches” submitted on 31/5/2018 with his re-election to the Presidency of the Republic, with “Pothen Esches “which he submitted on the 15th of the month, with the completion of three years in the presidency.
In particular, in “Pothen Esches” of 2018, in the field “Statement of gross income”, President Anastasiadis stated the three pensions he receives with the following note: the deduction of taxes and deductions for € 23,848, the balance for € 24,497 was contributed to the Independent Social Support Agency. The Agency was given a contribution in the year 2016, the amount of € 21,700 “. However, in “Pothen Esches” of 2021 there is no reference to a contribution to the Independent Social Support Agency. On the contrary, President Anastasiadis included in his annual earnings the parliamentary pension.
The Presidential Commitment
On 11/2/2015, President Anastasiadis announced that while he is President of the Republic, he is renouncing his right to a parliamentary pension. The Presidency statement read: “On the issue that arose after the decision of the Supreme Court on the multiple pensions of state officials, the President of the Republic wishes to state that while he is President of the Republic he renounces the right to a parliamentary pension.” It should be noted that the term of office of Mr. Anastasiadis ended in January 2018. Elections followed where he was re-elected. Therefore, he would have to renew his relevant directive to the General Accountant for the denial of the parliamentary pension he receives, something that does not seem to have been done based on the “Pothen Esches” of 2021.
The Averoff law proposal
It should be noted that a draft law by Averof Neophytos is pending for a vote in Parliament in 2016, which regulates the issue so that state officials do not receive one or two pensions from the public at the same time as their salary.
