While workers across Greece continue to strike in protest over wage cuts, the country's top government officials, already among the lowest paid in the European Union, have agreed to cut their own pay even further. 

Karolos Papoulias, President of Democracy, considered to be one of the lowest paid political leaders of the western world, receives roughly 85,000 euros annually and officially asked not to be excluded from wage cuts.

Prime Minister George Papandreou, with a paycheck of about 110,000 euros a year, is also one of the lowest paid country leaders in the EU.

Other wages paid to the country's leaders include: Ministers at 5,500 euros a month; Ministers who are also MPs, including expenses, about 10,000 euros a month; MPs, including expenses, about 9,000 euros a month.

Following the announcement by President of Parliament Philippos Petsalnikos, who called for wage reductions totaling twenty million euros as "parliament's contribution to the nationwide effort to confront the budgetary problem of the country," the following pay cuts have been put into effect

Specifically, a reduction of 10 percent in the expenses for the President of Democracy;  an across the board cut of five percent, or about 390 euros a month, for MPs;  An additional 10 percent reduction, or an average of 220 euros a month, in the benefits of MPs to organize an office and or for travel expenses.  

Also, the compensation for attendance in the Parliamentary committees is reduced by 15 percent, or 200 euros monthly.

By these measures, according to officials, the monthly take of MPs is reduced by 800 euros and the president of democracy by 1,030 euros.

Furthermore, the new tax bill will suspend the lower taxation on certain funds available to civil servants, like tax office and customs officials.

Locally, the salaries for mayors start from about 20,000 euros annually for small municipalities and prefects at about 80,000 annually.

It should be noted that a mayor’s salary is calculated based on the size/economics of the municipality starting from 19,000 to 20,000, but reaching over 60,000 annually with all the mayoral expenses and special funds. According to calculations, a mayor’s wages in an intermediate municipality amount to about 3,000-3,500 euros a month. A prefect’s compensation reaches 5,880 euros a month (4,100 basic wage plus 350 euros position benefit, 440 representation expenses, 440 travelling expenses and 550 standard compensation), for a total 82,208 euros annually…almost as much as the prime minister!