NEWS,04.01.2012.

Revealed: Italian MPs are best paid in Europe... despite disastrous state of country's economy 

 

Politicians in debt-ridden Italy are the best paid in Europe - at a time their people are told to tighten their belts, it emerged today.

A Europe-wide survey has found average monthly gross pay for Italy's MPs, including expenses, is more than €16,000.

French MPs, with a gross wage of around €14,000 are the second best paid in the eurozone.

Italian deputies exchanged blows in parliament last October as tensions over a tough economic reform programme came to a head

German MPs are third, receiving about €12,600, while Spanish MPs fare worst, at €4,650 a month, excluding secretarial costs.

The parliamentary report was compiled for MPs and members of Italy's upper house, the Senate, who earn about €12,000 a month.

It will reinforce calls for the salaries of Italian MPs to be slashed to the European average as the government introduces new austerity measures to tackle the country's debt mountain.

Premier Mario Monti signalled in his first speech to the Italian parliament in November that unwarranted perks and pay for Italy's privileged classes, particularly parliamentarians, would be cut to save money and set an example.

But MPs rebelled as soon as plans were touted to cut their pay and pensions.

The government promptly agreed it was up to parliamentarians to reduce their own salaries.

Members of the Italian Senate, in Rome, earn around ¿12,000 a month, according to the report

Anger: Demonstrators scuffle with Italian police in front of the Senate during a protest against the government's austerity measures in September

Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti (right) has had to face up to Italy's mounting debt crisis with German Chancellor Angela Merkel (left) and French President Nicolas Sarkozy (centre)

A spokesman for the prime minister denied the government had done a U-turn.

He told The Independent that deciding the pay of MPs and senators came under the remit of parliamentary business.

So far, concrete proposals on cutting parliamentary costs have yet to emerge.

THE EU LEAGUE TABLE

MPs' average gross monthly salaries across Europe: 

Italy: €16,000

France: €14,000

Germany: €12,650

Greece: €8,594

UK: €6,562

   Spain: €4,650 

 Giorgio Saccoia, a spokesman for the big public sector union CGIL, told The Independent: 'We know that we needed an emergency budget, and that we would have to make sacrifices.

'But we hoped the people in power would lead by example. There's been little sign of it.'

The document suggests that, given the complexities in parliamentary pay structures and the differences between systems in different EU countries, the data is 'of insufficient quality' to use as base to reduce members' salaries.

It follows a series of revelations in recent months about privileges Italian parliamentarians enjoy.

Italian MPs also get free rail and air tickets as well as an entitlement to claim €1,300 a month for travel expenses.

Last year, details of subsidised parliamentary hairdressers and bargain-priced dining also emerged.

Italian MPs also enjoy generous pensions after only one term in parliament and are allowed to keep their day jobs, complete with additional salaries and private pensions.