Say Goodbye to Lavish Transition Payments for Ministers: Time for a Change!
Taxpayers' Group Advocates Lowering Short-Term Payments for Government Officials - Taxpayers' Group Urges Reduction in Transitional Aid for Government Officials
It's about time our government officials start taking a pay cut - or at least that's what the Taxpayers' Association thinks. They've taken matters into their own hands, demanding a significant reduction in the transition payments for Ministers.
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The opposition in the Bundestag is on board with this demand. Jan van Aken, leader of The Left, voiced his support in the "Stuttgarter Zeitung" and the "Stuttgarter Nachrichten," arguing that a year of transition pay is more than enough. However, he believes the salary during "inactivity" is still too high, insisting an average skilled worker's wage should suffice.
The AfD is in agreement, with deputy party leader Stephan Brandner pointing out that they've already put forward a bill to reduce transition payments in 2022. Brandner criticized the extravagant transition payments for former federal ministers as nothing more than a self-serving maneuver at the expense of taxpayers.
Currently, cabinet members are eligible for transition pay for a maximum of two years. During the first three months, their regular salary is still paid, which amounts to around 17,990 euros for federal ministers, according to the Federation of Taxpayers. After this period, only half is paid. For ministers who remain members of parliament, the payments are offset against their allowances.
Holznagel, President of the association, suggests abolishing transition pay altogether for voluntary resignations by ministers. He believes those who choose to resign should not receive any state transition payment, as employees who quit their jobs typically face a waiting period without unemployment benefits. The association argues that cabinet members should not be granted special rights.
While there's currently no explicit information on specific proposals from the Taxpayers' Association or political parties in Germany regarding reducing transition payments for ministers, broader fiscal reforms are underway. The coalition agreement emphasizes fiscal reforms, such as establishing a commission to review Germany’s debt brake rules. However, these discussions do not directly address ministerial transition payments.
Stay tuned for updates on this much-needed change, and let's work towards a more fiscally responsible government!
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- Federation of Taxpayers
- Reiner Holznagel
- Change of Government
- Stephan Brandner
- Reduction
- Editorial Network Germany
- Bundestag
- Leader
- Jan van Aken
- Stuttgarter Zeitung
- Stuttgarter Nachrichten
- AfD
(Enrichment Data: The current search results lack specific information on proposals by the Taxpayers’ Association or German political parties to reduce transition payments for ministers. The coalition agreement focuses on broader fiscal reforms but not ministerial transition payments. The discussion revolves around traditionally questioning the fiscal sustainability and rationalizing tax expenditures but lacks specific proposals targeting ministerial benefits.)
- The Taxpayers' Association has advocated for a significant reduction in transition payments for ministers, believing it's past time for government officials to take a pay cut.
- Jan van Aken, leader of The Left, publicly supported this demand, arguing that a year of transition pay is excessive, and an average skilled worker's wage should be the cap.
- Stephan Brandner, deputy leader of the AfD, supports the reduction of transition payments and has already proposed a bill to this effect in 2022.
- Reiner Holznagel, President of the Federation of Taxpayers, has suggested abolishing transition pay entirely for ministers who voluntarily resign, as employees typically face a waiting period without unemployment benefits.
