Foreign Minister Evangelos Venizelos’ decision to use the government plane to fly to Brussels from the isle of Skiathos for the EU Foreign Ministers Council on August 15 and then to be flown back at the end of the meeting has caused criticism. The one-hour VIP flight cost Greek taxpayers 5,660.80 euros, according to the official invoice.
Defence Minister Dimitris Avramopoulos hadn’t approved a similar request just 12 months earlier in August 2013. Back then, the General Staff of the Air Force refused the Foreigner Minister’s request and Venizelos had to fly to the meeting using a commercial airline. The General Staff of the Air Force had deemed that the intermediate stop would increase the price considerably. Hence, Venizelos traveled to Athens using his own private means and boarded the government aircraft at Elefsina.
In direct contrast, last week the “Embrauer” left the base of Elefsina early on August 15 to meet Venizelos at Skiathos airport and remained in Brussels until the Foreign Minister finished the meeting. On August 16 it flew from Brussels to Elefsina. It landed at Skiathos at 10 p.m. so that Venizelos could continue his vacation.
In exclusive photos belonging to Proto Thema, Venizelos is seen leaving the “Embrauer” accompanied by a member of his personal security.
There is speculation as to why the same request refused a year earlier was granted. Back in 2013, Venizelos’ request was not only turned down but also “leaked” to the press as a show of the Defence Ministry’s vigilance in protecting Greek taxpayers from ministerial excess.
The reason for the change of heart may have something to do with the personal relationship between Avramopoulos and Venizelos following the coalition government’s support of Avramopoulos as the new Greek European Commissioner.
In response to the newspaper’s criticism regarding this flight, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement that stresses 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 odor of bad faith.”
The official announcement did not respond to why the same request had been refused last year with the reasoning that back then such travel arrangements were not within the letter of the law and were considered extravagant.
This isn’t the first time that Venizelos has been criticised for his excesses, giving cause for numerous satirical references, such as the one below…
Translation – “I, Venizelos”
