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Disagreement in Parliament over Referral of Equal Burden Sharing Fund Budget

Published March 17, 2026, 14:10
Disagreement in Parliament over Referral of Equal Burden Sharing Fund Budget

Disagreement was expressed in Parliament regarding the referral of the law on the budget of the Equal Burden Sharing Fund, due to the upcoming dissolution and parliamentary elections. The discussion focused on the amendment concerning the utilization of the undistributed amount from the 0.4% transfer fee for the benefit of refugees. The Ministry of Finance disagreed with Parliament's proposed law, arguing that the need is already covered by the existing budget and no additional funding is required. The Legal Service, for its part, emphasized that Parliament is intervening in matters within the competence of the executive branch, violating Article 61 of the Constitution and that it cannot change the purpose of state expenditures. The Equal Burden Sharing Fund stated that it has stopped expenditures due to the pending budget and that there is pressure for grants. The President of the Refugee Committee, Nikos Kettiros, stated that according to legal opinions the law does not increase the budget, while the MP of DIKO, Zacharias Koulias, requested the utilization of the surplus of the fund for the needs of the fund.