Despite pledges, government aides increase

Despite pledges by the SYRIZA-led government to pare back the public sector, the number of advisers and aides to ministers and general secretaries has increased significantly.

The number of support staff for central and local government officials stood at 1,984 in May this year, up from 1,888 in December 2014, according to government figures.

Apart from increasing the number of advisers, rather than reducing them, the government has also created new state bodies such as a service overseeing local authorities.

In his policy speech in February 2015, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras had pledged to “relieve the public sector of its armies of advisers.”