Prosecutors may be enlisted in civil service evaluation

Tensions between the government and SYRIZA on the thorny issue of an evaluation scheme for the civil service demanded by the troika intensified Monday with Administrative Reform Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis suggesting that prosecutors might be enlisted to ensure that civil servants comply with the evaluation process in the public sector and rebuking Attica’s new SYRIZA-affiliated governor, Rena Dourou, for resisting efforts to review contracts.

“The frauds who used fake certificates to secure their jobs have to be sent home,” Mitsotakis told Skai TV. “If necessary, a prosecutor will intervene,” he added.

Mitsotakis said local authority officials could face legal action if they are found to have hired civil servants with forged qualifications.

He also condemned Dourou, who has joined some 19, mostly SYRIZA-affiliated mayors, in resisting the government’s efforts to recheck contracts that were upgraded from fixed-term to permanent in 2006 as it believes this was done illegally.

“We are curing ailments in the political system,” Mitsotakis said and accused Dourou of embracing the very clientelistic stance that the leftists purport to oppose. “She must realize that she is an elected official, she is no longer in the opposition,” the minister said, noting that he is waiting to see what stance Dourou will take on the issue when the regional authority’s council meets Tuesday.