The PASOK party has brought the issue of meal vouchers to Parliament, urging the government to adopt proven, small-scale measures used across Europe to safeguard citizens’ purchasing power amid rising prices. Specifically, PASOK MPs Manolis Christodoulakis, Pavlos Christidis, and Paris Koukoulopoulos have submitted a parliamentary question to the Ministers of Labour and Finance, highlighting that Greece’s daily meal voucher value has remained frozen at €6 for over two decades — while the cost of essential goods has surged dramatically during the same period.
A Lagging System in a European Context
By contrast, the party notes, many EU countries regularly adjust their meal voucher values in line with economic conditions and national minimum wages. Examples include Portugal, France, Spain, the Czech Republic, Romania, and Slovakia — all of which have updated the nominal value of their meal vouchers, while Greece remains the only country in the bloc not to have done so.
According to the MPs’ analysis, the average monthly meal allowance across Europe corresponds to roughly 20% of the national minimum wage. In Greece, however, it stands at just 12–13%, placing the country last among the comparator nations.
Sharp Increases Elsewhere
Recent adjustments elsewhere have been substantial: Slovakia recorded the largest rise (314%), followed by Romania (146%). Even high-income economies such as France, Italy, and Spain implemented increases of 22% to 51% between 2017 and 2024. In the Czech Republic, the system is designed more dynamically — the voucher amount automatically rises each time inflation pushes food prices up by 20%, helping preserve workers’ real income.
Key Demands from PASOK
In light of these disparities, the three MPs are asking whether the government plans to:
- Review and update the current €6 daily nominal value of meal vouchers;
- Introduce a permanent, automatic mechanism for periodic adjustments — tied to inflation, food price trends, and the minimum wage;
- Consider tax incentives or other support measures for SMEs, to encourage broader adoption of this supplementary benefit across the private sector.