Polish MPs earn considerably less than their partners in western EU countries, although top the tables regionally, a report finds.
Members of Poland’s lower parliamentary house, the Sejm, earn a monthly salary of 9892.30 zloty gross (around 1950 euro), although are able to claim a wide variety of expenses, reports the Rzeczpospolita daily.
Up to 12,000 zloty monthly can be claimed in office expenses, as well as 2500 monthly for additional allowances for membership of parliamentary committees.
Meanwhile, MPs in other countries earn considerably greater sums. In France, parliamentarians earn 13,000 euro, while in Germany that figure is 12,500 euro and in Italy MPs earn some 9500 euro. However, Polish MPs earn more than their partners in other countries in the CEE region.
Rzeczpospolita writes that there are a number of plans to change the salary system of Polish MPs, and while politicians are for a pay rise, they do not publicly say so for fear of losing popularity with the electorate.
(Polskie Radio dla Zagranicy. jb)
fot. Radek Pietruszka/EPA
