MPs’ benefits
Diet automatic in the Bundestag remains
The diets in the Bundestag continue to be automatically adjusted annually. Despite the opposition criticism, the parliament has extended a corresponding mechanism. How does it work?
Member of the Bundestag, with the so -called MP compensation – colloquially diet – are high in the income scale. Decisions on diet increases are therefore not well received.
A automatism was therefore introduced a few years ago – an annual adjustment as with the pension. But this mechanism, which has to be extended for the new legislative period after each federal election, is also criticized. With the majority of CDU/CSU, SPD and the opposition Greens, the Bundestag decided on this extension on Thursday evening.
How much money do Bundestag members get?
Currently 11,227.20 euros per month. The money has to be taxed. In addition, there is a tax -free monthly flat rate of currently at EUR 5,349.58 for costs to exercise the mandate, such as the rent of the constituency office, material, taxi rides, hotel costs or accommodation in Berlin.
The Bundestag also reimburses expenses for the office in Berlin (material or cell phones for employees) up to a maximum of 12,000 euros per year. MPs can take the train free of charge and get costs for domestic flights replaced if they are related to the practice of the mandate.
A lot of money from a normal earner – what is that directed?
“The MPs are entitled to adequate compensation that ensures independence,” says the Basic Law. The details of this are regulated in the MPs’ Act. The diets are therefore based on the covers of judges on the top federal courts. According to the so-called diet judgment of the Federal Constitutional Court of 1975, the compensation must “meet the importance of the office, taking into account the associated responsibility and burden and the rank issued in the constitution”.
The topic has always been sensitive: If the diets are too low – such a fear – may be more vulnerable to attempts at bribes, they are too high, there is criticism.
The Bundestag is setting up on its diets. How come?
This also goes back to the Diete judgment of the constitutional court. This expressly obliges the MPs to decide on it themselves and “in front of the public”, according to Bundesag.de. At the time, the court ruled: “In a parliamentary democracy, it cannot be avoided that the parliament decides on its own behalf when it comes to determining the amount and the details of the financial regulations associated with the MP status.”
But why is there an automatic annual adjustment?
This was decided in 2014 by the grand coalition at the time on the recommendation of an expert commission. Their boss, the former Federal Minister of Justice Edzard Schmidt-Jortzig (FDP), had referred to violent public debates that was again in the event of upcoming diet increases: “The politicians then talk about” Raffkes “and” self-service “of the parliamentarians.” Therefore, there has been the political desire for a long time to somehow automate adjustments.
How exactly does the mechanism work?
Similar to the retirement: the average wages in the country are increasing by sovereign percent this year, diets will increase in the coming year. However, every newly elected Bundestag must vote on whether he wants to maintain this procedure for the legislative period. This has now happened again. According to the left, the mechanism leads to a diet increase of a good 600 euros on July 1.
What do the supporters and the critics say?
SPD and Union defend automatism. This is a good, because of facts based on a very political and sometimes emotional question, Union faction leader Jens Spahn (CDU) said. In difficult times, if citizens had less in wages and salaries, this has already led to corresponding reductions. In 2021, the diets had actually dropped slightly in the course of Corona pandemic.
Criticism comes from the AfD and the left, both of which demand a suspension of the automatic adaptation. Left-wing party leader Jan van Aken said in the Bundestag that no citizen understood when the diets are increased before the parliament started his actual work. AfD parliamentary group manager Stephan Brandner turned against the automation and campaigned to debate and decide on an increase every year transparently in the plenary.
Common application from CDU/CSU and SPD
dpa
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
