«To υπουργείο Απασχόλησης και Κοινωνικής Προστασίας (στην Ελλάδα) έχει γίνει γνωστό ως "η ηλεκτρική καρέκλα" εξαιτίας των συχνών αλλαγών υπουργών», γράφουν σήμερα οι Financial Times με αφορμή την παραίτηση του Βασίλη Μαγγίνα.
Ο κ. Μαγγίνας, επισημαίνουν οι FT, ήταν στο υπουργείο για λιγότερο από οκτώ μήνες, ενώ ο προκάτοχός του αποπέμφθηκε όταν αποκαλύφθηκε ότι ένας από τους ανώτατους συμβούλους του εμπλεκόταν σε υπόθεση ξεπλύματος βρώμικου χρήματος.
Ακολουθεί ολόκληρο το άρθρο των Financial Times για την παραίτηση Μαγγίνα:
Greek welfare minister sacked
By Kerin Hope in Athens
Greece’s social welfare minister was sacked at the weekend following accusations that he employed immigrant workers illegally and built a weekend home near Athens without planning permission.
Vassilis Magginas denied both accusations. He has been under attack in Greek media as the minister responsible for preparing unpopular pension reforms, due be presented to parliament early next year.
The welfare post has become known as “the electric chair” because of a rapid turnover of ministers. Mr Magginas had been in the job for less than eight months. His predecessor was sacked when one of his senior advisers was revealed to be under investigation for money-laundering.
Mr Magginas’s dismissal underlines the ruling conservatives’ increasing sensitivity to criticism over environmental and immigration issues, and marks the first time that a Greek cabinet minister has stood down over such concerns.
According to Greek media reports, Mr Magginas’s weekend home was built using a permit for the construction of a cold storage warehouse, while an Indian family living on the estate lacked proper residency papers.
Fani Petralia, a veteran conservative politician who formerly held the tourism portfolio, takes over as welfare minister as a second week of strikes against pension reforms gets under way.
The government’s plans to consolidate about 170 pay-as-you-go funds into fewer than 10 groups, curb opportunities for early retirement and reduce the definition of final salary have triggered fears that pension payments will be significantly reduced.
Doctors, civil engineers and journalists, who claim their pension funds will be “looted” if merged with financially troubled funds, are due to stage a two-day strike this week. Trade unions are planning more walkouts for January.
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2007