Why doesn't this strike us as a surprise? MEPs have asked for more of taxpayers' cash, although this time the money will not end up directly in their pockets. The European Parliament's Committee on Budgets voted yesterday to increase MEPs' monthly staff allowance by a further €1,500 - which, multiplied by 12 months and 736 MEPs, amounts to an annual increase of €13.2 million.
Not exactly a wise decision given the wave of austerity that national governments (and taxpayers) are facing across Europe. MEPs already gave themselves a €1,500 office allowance increase last year, following claims that new duties brought in by the Lisbon Treaty had increased their workload. What's more, they already receive a generous monthly allowance of €19,709 to cover staff and other office expenses.
In the words of Italian journalist Marco Zatterin, this really is "caviar for eurosceptic palates".
NB: It's a bit disappointing to see German MEP Ingeborg Grässle (a member of the EP Budgets Committee who has been saying a couple of sensible things in the past, for example on the EU's new diplomatic service budget) saying, "I cannot do the political or control work I have to do if I don't have more staff."
Now who was it who said "where you stand depends on where you sit?"
The same Ingeborg Grässle who barred Marta Andreasen from the top job on Cocubu? Why are you disappointed? The woman has form.
ReplyDeleteDid she not also prevent publishing a report on possible corruption in the EP itself, as 'it might hurt the Parliament's image'?
ReplyDeleteAnyway, a typical politician, nothing more and nothing less. Do as she says, not as she does ;).
Quis custodiet custodies?
ReplyDeleteWhy do we poor peasants need to know, I'm sure they think like this, in the Panglossian world of the EUSSR where all is for the best in the best of all possible worlds? The swine know we cannot change anything at the ballot box as they have suceeded in creating the perfect system of disenfranchisement dressed as democracy: ie fascism.
The only thing that will stop them is to cut off their supply of funds, something we can easily do.
ReplyDeleteGet the same people to deal with it that scrapped our Carriers and Harriers.
Rollo Reid