Excessive salaries lead to excessive politics, says the new Left co-leader Jan van Aken. An average income is also completely sufficient for party leaders.
The new Left chairmen Ines Schwerdtner and Jan van Aken say they want to voluntarily give up around half of their salaries from the party. The salary should therefore be at the statistical average of 2,850 euros net. “We’ll give up everything else,” said van Aken in Berlin.
Schwerdtner added that the party of course pays standard salaries and therefore the chairmen are entitled to 8,162.50 euros gross per month. The net sum above the self-selected limit should flow into a solidarity fund to “help people in need” or advise them, as van Aken said. He hopes for imitators.
Left leader wants to set an example
“We are convinced that excessive salaries also lead to excessive politics,” said the party leader. “We want to make it clear that we are not doing this job here for career reasons or because we want to enrich ourselves here, but we are really doing it out of conviction. We both want to change the world.”
Source: Stern
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