Parlia-Bro: Brandenburg's Big three Seek to Curb Politician's Pocket Change
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In the gritty halls of Brandenburg's parliament, the forces are gearing up for a knock-down drag-out fight over politician's pay packets. The trio of heavyweights — SPD, CDU, and BSW — are gunning for a law to cap the allowances of parliamentarians, a move that's ruffled more than a few feathers.
"It's time for some damn reality check," spits BSW parliamentary business manager, Falk Peschel. The current peak of around 9,800 euros per month ain't cutting it, he reckons. "We can't just swipe our expense cards like it's a Black Friday sale," he rants, before letting slip that the BSW prefers a lower cap than the current 3.5 percent. "But hey, every little bit helps, huh?" he chuckles.
The AfD faction, led by head honcho, Hans-Christoph Berndt, isn't playing nice either. They're dead set against any automatic increase in allowances, let alone a cap. Berndt argues that any decision involving their own pay should be debated in public and voted upon, the populist way.
Meanwhile, Potsdam, the capital city, is the battleground for this showdown. The coalition factions of SPD and CDU, along with the BSW, have penned a draft bill to modify the MP's Act. They'll be capping those allowances at 3.5%, with the majority continuing to escalate in step with employees' income growth. A smaller component will still adjust with the Consumer Price Index (CPI), while a contribution will be made to their pension pots.
As for the rent on constituency offices, only net cold rents will be reimbursed from now on, with a 200 euro hike for the maximum reimbursement amount due to skyrocketing rent prices. However, MPs will have to fork over ancillary costs from their allowances themselves. This will amount to an additional 496,000 euros for the 2026 budget. Plus, from 2027, pensioners can expect a boost equivalent to the inflation rate.
All in all, league tables and deals will be redrawn once this cap goes live, effective from New Year's Day next year. But it's a fight that won't be won, lost, or forgotten overnight. Expect nail-biting twists and turns as the drama unfolds in the hallowed halls of Brandenburg's parliament.
Politician's Pocket MoneyLandtagBrandenburgAllowance (Compensation)FractionPotsdamSPDCDUBSWPension provisionAfD
- The trio of heavyweights, SPD, CDU, and BSW, are advocating for a community policy that aims to cap the allowances of parliamentarians, a move which reflects their employment policy, aiming to align politician's earnings with general-news economic conditions and financially disassociate them from business and politics.
- In the midst of this struggle over politician's pay packets, the AfD faction, led by Hans-Christoph Berndt, is advocating for transparency in decisions regarding allowance changes, echoing a call for a more open and democratic employment policy in line with general-news principles of public accountability.
