Criticisms Mount Against Proposed 606 Euro Monthly Salary Hike for MPs in Bundestag
Digging Deeper:
Planned Enhancement of Allowances Under Fire in the German Parliament by Opposition Parties
MPs in Germany currently earn a monthly base salary of approximately 11,227 euros, with additional allowances for expenses like offices and residences that are not taxed. Any increase in salary could be met with opposition if perceived as excessive or misaligned with the general population's economic conditions.
Flipping the Script:
The German Left has taken issue with a planned Bundestag resolution for this week, aiming to boost MPs' monthly allowances from the current 11,227.20 euros up to 606 euros as of July 1st. MPs' salaries are also set to increase automatically in the course of this legislative period. Controversially, this increase, according to parliamentary business manager Christian Görke in Berlin, feeds into a growing disconnect between MPs' living standards and those of the average citizen's life.
Currently, a resolution is scheduled for discussion on Thursday. If passed, it would activate a long-standing mechanism for automatic salary increases tailored to this parliamentary session. The increase would then be based on the so-called nominal wage index calculated by the Federal Statistical Office. However, the Left seeks to suspend this mechanism entirely. Görke stated, "We want to remove this dynamic."
More on the Knife-Edge:
On the earnings front, if the proposed increase goes through, a single legislative period would be sufficient for pension claims exceeding 1,100 euros. Görke further suggested that MPs should contribute to the statutory German Pension Insurance instead. The Left's next move is a reform of MPs' retirement provisions.
Sources: ntv.de, as/dpa
- German Bundestag
- The Left
- Politician Salaries
- Retirement Savings
- German Pension Insurance
- The German Left has expressed concern about the proposed increase in MPs' monthly allowances from 11,227.20 euros to 606 euros, arguing that it could exacerbate the already growing disconnect between MPs' living standards and those of the average citizen.
- The Left party in Germany is advocating for a reform of MPs' retirement provisions, suggesting that MPs should contribute to the statutory German Pension Insurance instead of collecting pensions exceeding 1,100 euros after a single legislative period.
