Belgian Communist Party MEP Marc Botenga has called for an end to European “exit allowances”, citing what he called the “indecent golden parachute” of European Council President Charles Michel.
In a blog post on September 19, Botenga revealed that Michel was entitled to what is called a “transitional allowance” of around €260,000.
While the European Council President’s allowance is legal under European Union staff regulations, Botenga argued that the generous compensation packages granted to EU officials should be abolished.
“Charles Michel’s fixed-term contract expires and he gets paid for another six months? That’s crazy. No other worker in Europe could dream of such an arrangement,” Botenga said, adding that such a large sum undermined European democracy.
“All these privileges are a democratic problem because they distance European leaders from the day-to-day reality of the European population,” he noted.
According to Botenga, ending such allowances could help establish more effective legislation for the average European citizen.
“The European Union has not taken any serious steps to reduce energy bills or increase wages. Perhaps European leaders would be more inclined to do so if they felt the rising cost of living.”
The Communist Party’s call for the regulation of EU officials’ earnings extends beyond the bloc’s top positions, with MEPs also in the party’s sights.
“We also want to extend our proposal to MEPs. MEPs are also entitled to a transitional allowance, equal to their monthly salary, for each full year in office, for a minimum of six months and a maximum of 24 months,” a Communist note read.
The party also advocated for integrating all MEPs into a standard social security system tied to their country of origin — a proposal it has consistently championed in Belgian national politics.
Numerous newly elected MEPs are earning lots of money on the side, new research has shown. https://t.co/VMcvgSFLFy
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) September 16, 2024
