Greece’s Richest And Poorest Politicians

By Andy Dabilis on December 11, 2012

 

While Greeks are suffering through a crushing economic crisis in the wake of 2 1/2 years of pay cuts, tax hikes and slashed pensions, the lawmakers who have approved the government-imposed austerity measures are mostly luxuriating in riches, according to their annual declaration of wealth statements, known in Greek as ‘pothen esches.’

Greece’s Parliament is awash in members who have more than $1 million in deposits, bonds, property, vehicles and other assets. Among the richest is Anna Dalara with bonds, deposits and mutual funds worth 2.9 million euros ($3.77 million) and said she bought a new car for 100,000 euros. She’s the wife of a famous singer, George Dalaras, who was verbally assaulted and pelted with water and yogurt at a concert earlier this year by protesters who yelled “Traitor!” at him.

Pantelis Economou has deposits in various banks of more than 500,000 euros. Defense Minister Panos Pangiotopoulos of New Democracy has 1,353,499 euros in Eurobank and 280,000 euros in Pireaus Bank and The National Bank of Greece for a total of 1,633,499 euros or $2.12 million.
Christos Papoutsis, a deputy minister, has $357,000 in The National Bank and also 263,729 euros there. New Democracy’s Elena Rafti has 253,862 euros in Eurobank and 329,466 euros in Marfin Bank.
Aris Spiliotopoulos said he has 102,613 euros in one bank, 187,706 in another, 400,000 euros in a third and 130,000 in a fourth for a total of more than 800,000 euros, or more than $1.04 million.
Magia Tsokli declared 950,000 euros ($1.253 million) in two banks. Telemachos Hitiris said he has 348,319 euros in the National Bank while his wife, famed singer Maria Farandouri has 430,000 euros there.
Eftihios Damianakis, from the PASOK Socialists, with his wife, declared he had 1.6 million euros ($2.08 million) in assets. Of this, 1.5 million came from selling off his wife’s real estate.
New Democracy MP Adonis Georgiadis, who defected from the LAOS party and is now a deputy minister, said he has 120,000 euros deposited without including his wife’s income. He said his property status hadn’t changed from the previous year but that his wealth had tripled by liquidating assets.
George Vagionas from ND listed $2,175 in the bank and an account in euros of 1,462,840, or about $1.9 million. Vaitsis Apostolatos from LAOS declared one million euros in one bank and 200,000 in another, for a total of 1.2 million euros or $1.56 million.
Eliza Vosenberg of ND put down in her declaration some 500,000 euros while George Vlachos, also from ND, has more than 700,000 euros. Alekos Athanasidis of PASOK showed 800,000 euros in the bank.
Stathis Koutmeridis showed 300,000 euros while Yiannis Ioannidis of New Democracy said he has $1,014,221 in Citibank and 620,732 euros there.
Among the poorest, relatively speaking of course, is Dionysia Theodora Augerinopoulou of New Democracy, with declarations of 24,721 euros, and deposits of 6,643 euros as part of her annual income but that she has no property.
Iro Dioti of SYRIZA listed 24,152 euros but no property nor vehicle. Yiannis Vouros of PASOK said he has 24,648 euros, an apartment of 150 square meters in Athens and bank deposits totaling 13.27 euros.
Prime Minister Antonis Samaras listed 111,000 euros from his salary while his wife, Georgia, indicated she had 53,625.98 euros. They said they also own 13 properties, six in his name and seven in hers. Their bank deposits 276.677 euros, 25,119 UK pounds and $12,825. Samaras said he sold an apartment plus a storage room for 78,848 euros and bought another in a swap with his brother.
He also has 2,335 square meters of land and buildings in Kifisia, two small holdings/plots in Laurio 565 s/m., also a plot in Rovies Evoia 9,316 s.m. (50%) and in Pylos, Messinia, a plot 3,126 s.m. which was bought in 2009 for 110, 000 euros.
His wife Georgia, owns an apartment of 167 square meters and a store in Nafplio. She also owns a building in Kolonaki, an office in Athens, half a house in Ekali, land in the same area of 2,265 square meters and a piece of a 554 square meter lot in Kallithea. Samaras said his deposits are 294,418 euros in total while he also owns three cars. His wife declared 13,705 euros and 4,000 British Pounds.
Major opposition Coalition of the Radical Left (SYRIZA) leader Alexis Tsipras declared 81,000 euros in his salary and 1,500 euros from other revenues. He also owns an apartment in Athens of 114 square meters. He showed deposits of 386.34 euros in one bank and 10,944 in another and said he owns a motorcycle.
PASOK Socialist leader Evangelos Venizelos said had only his salary of 101,903 euros as a Member of Parliament and no other sources of income although he is a noted Constitutional lawyer. He also declared joint bank accounts totaling 2,326,777 euros plus 43,900 British Pounds and $1,729 for a total of nearly $3.1 million.