The Mitsotakis Government Almost Doubles Salaries for Metropolitans

ΕΑΝ ΠΡΟΤΙΜΑΤΕ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΑ ΠΑΤΗΣΤΕ ΤΗ ΣΗΜΑΙΑ ΣΤΟ ΚΑΤΩ ΜΕΡΟΣ ΤΗΣ ΟΘΟΝΗΣ

By Helleniscope’s Editorial Team

While the majority of the Greek people continue to struggle under severe economic pressure, facing soaring living costs, stagnant wages, some of the lowest salaries in Europe, and even the loss of their homes over relatively small debts, the government of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has found it appropriate to grant enormous pay increases to the senior hierarchy of the Church of Greece. Even more strikingly, these raises were accepted by the beneficiaries without a word of protest or apparent concern for the economic hardship facing ordinary citizens.

Is it because the next elections are around the corner? No, I don’t think so (Ha…ha…)… Both Mitsotakis and the “Holy Fathers” are above such schemes, don’t you think?

Under legislation recently approved by the government, the salaries of Greece’s Metropolitan Bishops will increase from approximately €2,400–€2,475 per month to €4,671.90 per month, representing raises of between 88.8% and 94.7%. In practical terms, many Metropolitans will see their remuneration almost double overnight. The maximum increase reaches nearly 95%, a figure that has understandably provoked strong public criticism.

The Archbishop of Athens will also benefit substantially. Archbishop Ieronymos’ previous gross monthly remuneration ranged between €2,840 and €2,915, consisting of a basic salary, a representation allowance, and an academic qualification allowance. Under the new arrangement, his monthly salary rises to €4,671.90, amounting to an increase of €1,756.90–€1,831.90 per month, or approximately 60.3%–64.5%.

The legislation further provides that Assistant and Titular Bishops will receive compensation equal to 70% of the senior hierarch’s salary, corresponding to approximately €3,270 gross per month.

The timing of these increases has fueled controversy. Greece continues to face a profound affordability crisis. Many households struggle to meet basic expenses, wages remain well below the European average, and thousands of citizens have seen their properties auctioned or seized because of debts that would be considered relatively modest elsewhere in Europe. Against this backdrop, the decision to award increases of up to 95% to senior church officials appears, to many observers, disconnected from the daily realities faced by ordinary Greeks.

Supporters of the measure argue that the salaries of the clergy are being aligned with those of senior state officials and that previous remuneration arrangements contained anomalies. Critics, however, point out that at a time when workers, pensioners, and public employees are receiving only modest adjustments—if any at all—the government’s priorities seem deeply misplaced. They also note that the Church hierarchy, which frequently speaks about social solidarity and the hardships of the poor, did not publicly reject or question increases that far exceed anything available to the average Greek citizen.

The numbers themselves tell the story:

• Metropolitan Bishops: from €2,400–€2,475 to €4,671.90 (+88.8% to +94.7%).
• Archbishop of Athens: from €2,840–€2,915 to €4,671.90 (+60.3% to +64.5%).
• Assistant and Titular Bishops: approximately €3,270 per month.
• Largest increase: 94.7%, effectively doubling the salary of many Metropolitans.

For many Greeks, the issue is not merely the amounts involved, but the symbolism: while citizens are repeatedly told that fiscal restraint and sacrifice remain necessary, the country’s most senior clerics have been granted some of the largest salary increases seen in the public sphere in recent memory.