Confusion over amount of president’s monthly pension

The government on Thursday said President Christodoulides currently receives a pension of just €600 a month, contradicting earlier reports that the amount comes to €1,000.

Speaking to a television news network, deputy government spokesman Yiannis Antoniou said that since April of 2018 the president has been earning a pension of €600.

It’s understood he made the comments after media reported that Christodoulides’ pension comes to €1,013.

The president’s benefits came up this week during a parliamentary debate on the issue of currently serving state officials who also receive a pension.

Daily Politis at the time reported the president’s pension as €1,013.

Doubling down on Thursday after the deputy government spokesman’s comments, the newspaper said its numbers come directly from a report by the Audit Office, released last December. And in turn, the Audit Office got its data from the state treasury.

The report states that Christodoulides receives a civil servant’s pension that comes to €1,013. This amount corresponds to his service up until December 31, 2012.

As for the rest of his pensionable earnings, covering the period from January 2013 up to the end of February 2018 – when Christodoulides retired from the civil service to take up the post of foreign minister – it will start being paid when he reaches the age of 58.

What’s more, according to the Audit Office, on his retirement from the civil service Christodoulides additionally got a lump-sum payment of €56,754 for his service up until the end of December 2012.

Given the discrepancy between the government’s version and the auditor-general’s version, the newspaper concluded that “someone must be lying to us”.

Meantime as president Christodoulides’ earns a monthly salary of €8,914.

A number of state officials – about 30 – continue drawing pensions for past service in the public sector. This includes the president, a few ministers on his cabinet, various commissioners, as well as some MPs.