One out of five citizens in debt-ridden Greece today lives in poverty, said Greek Labor and Social Security Minister Louka Katseli said this week.

22 percent of Greeks living in poverty are pensioners, while 23 percent are minors and 42 percent are unemployed, noted Katseli addressing a forum organized by the ministry in the framework of a European awareness campaign to address the challenge this year.

Noting that the poverty threshold stands at 6,000 euros (US$7,943) annual income per capita and 13,608 euros (US$17,977) per year for a four-member household, Katseli presented the basic lines of the Greek government’s plan to face the situation which has deteriorated this year due to a severe economic crisis.

In late 2009 Greece was hit hard by the crisis which threatened the eurozone member country with bankruptcy this spring.

Athens secured a multi-billion euro financial aid package from European Union and International Monetary Fund this May in exchange of harsh austerity measures and reforms that met strong reactions.

Labor unions and opposition political parties criticize the socialist government’s three-year Stability and Growth exit plan from the crisis, arguing that places the burden of the painful policies on low income employees and pensioners who did not create the crisis.

Austerity measures have decreased the purchasing power of Greek households over the past few months, inflation stands at 4.6 percent in 2010, according to the latest estimations released on Monday by European Commission, and unemployment rate for this year reaches up to 12.5 percent.

The European Commission officials support Greek government officials projections that the Greek economy will return to growth in 2012, as long as Greece continues on the fiscal adjustment and reform path.

“There can not be growth in a country without social cohesion. Democracy and economy can not function normally in a society divided in half,” said Katseli, stressing that the government’s efforts are focused on supporting employment, preventing unemployment and safeguarding social cohesion.

Source: Xinhua