International

The SP has called Foreign Minister Johan Remkes not to lend his support to calls from Members of the European parliament for higher pay.

SP Member of the Dutch National parliament, Jan de Wit, said: “Euro-MPs already enjoy a more than adequate salary, pay hardly any taxes, receive hundreds of euros attendance money every time they turn up, can build up double pension rights and declare almost unlimited expenses. It is simply unbelievable that they are now coming cap in hand to the Dutch taxpayer. What do they actually contribute to our democracy in return for all this money? It’s a pity they don’t put more effort into earning what they’re already paid.”

Of the 27 Euro-MPs from the Netherlands, only those from the Labour Party (PvdA) and the SP refused to sign the letter demanding an inflation-busting 12% rise. MEPs receive the same salary as their national colleagues, but are able to profit far more through generous per diem expenses and other allowances which greatly exceed real costs. For years now they have looked enviously at the European Parliament’s top earners, the Italians, who trouser a cool 11,000 per month. National parliaments have, however, blocked attempts to win such a huge rise.

Now, in exchange for signing a Code of Conduct doing away with the most outrageous practices, they expect a massive pay hike. In other words they expect to be compensated for not fiddling their expenses and claiming double pension rights!

NOTA BENE: The SP’s own two Euro-MPs follow the same “workers’ wage” system as do all the party’s elected representatives, and operate their own system of compensation for receipted expenses.