Bravo Nana! Global Greek Nana Mouskouri Elects Not To Receive Her Euro Parliamentary Pension

In a gesture which shows the nobility and largesse of this wonderful lady's character, Global Greek  Nana Mouskouri has written to the Greek Minister of Finance and has asked that she not receive the Euro Parliament Pension that she is entitled to as a former Euro Parliament MP (1994-1999), so as not to burden our country's budget, until these difficult times are over.

Nana Mouskouri's Letter to Minister Papakonstantinou

Source : Madata.gr

To our beautiful Nana, from all of us in the Global Greek World, we can only say, BRAVO! 

We wish that there were more like you and we hope that others follow your example and elect to take some of the burden off that oh-so beleaguered Hellenic State Budget! 

Nana, like all of us,  is upset by the negative way Greece has been portrayed around the world, and  as she said to one of Greece's daily newspapers, Eleftherotypia,

"I do not want Greece to be treated like a cancer"   - or like a beggar or a leper, we would add... the people of Greece do not deserve it!

Nana, like many of our famous Global Greeks,  has spent a major part of her life, bringing the best and most positive aspects of Greece to the world. She, again like many others, has always been there when her country has needed her and helped out with other causes such as the New Acropolis Museum or the catastrophic fires of 2007.

We, the Greeks of the Diaspora, spend much of our time and effort, mostly on a voluntary basis and usually at great personal cost,  to keep Greece's image untarnished in the world at large, through our own communities and associations. 

Like Nana, we are upset that we have attracted so much negative and somewhat undeserved criticism in the last few weeks. 

We are also angry however, that successive Greek Governments through their own incompetence and laissez-faire attitude have  brought Greece to this point. 

We are angry that instead of bringing in measures to control the damage and limit it by ourselves, we need to be told to do it by the European Union... or else! 

Where is our sense of National Pride?

It is now up to the elected Greek Government and each  of us in our own small way, to take the initiative and do what we can to put an end to all this. 

It is time to take the bull by the horns and say ENOUGH! 

Each and every person must do his or her bit to help end this economic and morally corrupt downward spiral, and especially those who for years have been milking the State coffers, illegally and immorally, thus depriving our children of a financially secure and stable environment. 

Corruption and the para-economy in Greece are almost a fact of life. Anyone who has been to the bouzoukia, to night clubs or had dealings with the tax offices, public institutions, hospitals, or municipal authorities can tell you that. 

How many of us though have aided and abetted this tax evasion or avoidance by not asking for a receipt for services provided or by paying something under the counter to help our case along?

Let's start with ourselves then. 

Let's ensure we do our bit. Let's pay our taxes so that we can then demand a high level of public services. That means all of us, from highly paid but undertaxed performers, doctors and lawyers to taxi drivers, plumbers and car mechanics to name just a few.

Let's make sure we demand control mechanisms be put in place primarily to enforce the existing laws in the same way for all, to impose fair and just taxes for all, to collect all taxes and payments which are due, and so very necessary for the healthy functioning of the State,  in order to get Greece off to a new start.

Let's start today!
 

To read relevant article in Greek about Nana Mouskouri in Madata.GR , Click Here

To listen to Nana speak to Richard Quest on CNN Click Here