It is abundantly obvious that Parliament is at the heart of the clientelist state, especially since the union that represents parliamentary workers yesterday succeeded in blackmailing the government into revoking a decree reducing their salaries.

Parliamentary staff succeeded in getting themselves excluded from a measure that will affect the rest of the public sector by invoking a variety of old allies from different political parties, as well as by threatening not to ratify a decree on which the disbursement of further rescue funding will depend.

The prime minister has said that he will reintroduce the decision decreasing the salaries of employees in the House in line with other civil servants as soon as possible. He and the finance minister appear determined to strip the proteges of the clientelist political system of their ill-earned privileges. However, if they fail to do so, they will face the wrath of millions of citizens who have no protection at all.