Proto Thema newspaper has published today a very revealing article regarding the transportation used by the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Evangelos Venizelos to travel to Brussels for the Council of EU Foreign Ministers on August 15.

Mr. Evangelos Venizelos had asked to be picked up by the Government aircraft from Skiathos and also to be brought back to the island of Sporades, after the meeting was over, to continue his holidays in Skopelos.

The request of the Deputy Prime Minister was satisfied by the Ministry of Defence and so the VIP Embraer aircraft traveled to Skiathos in the morning of August 15, picked up Mr. Venizelos and took him to Brussels. In the same evening the aircraft brought back the Minister of Foreign Affairs to Skiathos. Then Mr. Venizelos traveled to Skopelos to continue his vacation and the Embraer aircraft returned to its base.

It should be noted that one hour of flight on this aircraft costs the Greek taxpayers approximately 5,660.80 euros, according to the official invoice.

The Ministry’s reply

In the morning of Sunday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs released an announcement regarding the publication in Proto Thema, in which Mr. Venizelos admits that he used the government aircraft to avoid wasting three of his few vacation days.

The Foreign Minister also stressed that “under the legislation, the current Prime Minister and the Minister of Foreign Affairs are allowed to use the government aircraft for their missions abroad, otherwise they wouldn’t be able to meet their various obligations. The same applies in all the countries which are EU members.”

“Nevertheless, the Deputy Prime Minister uses commercial flights whenever it is feasible. This was not technically feasible in the specific evening of August 15,” the announcement adds and concludes with the following phrases: “Criticism is an essential element of democracy. However, extreme populism merely cancels itself out, leaving only the odour of bad faith.”