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The referendum on the reduction of parliamentarians (230 in the Chamber and 115 in the Senate) on September 20 and 21 reopens the debate on the costs of politics. When comparing Italian spending with that of more similar European countries, it is possible to circumscribe anomalies that no longer have any justification. We do this with the help of Luca Verzichelli, from the Interuniversity Research Center on Political Change (CIRCaP) at the University of Siena. In the parliaments of the main European democracies, the most representative is the lower house. In Italy, with 630 deputies, the Chamber costs 989 million. In Germany I am a member of the federal parliament there are 707 and they spend 990 millionme. In France exist 577 deputies for 568 million expenses of the National Assembly. In United Kingdom 650 members of the House of Commons for 468 million. In Spain, which has fewer inhabitants, Congress spend less than 100 with 350 deputies.
Costs and hours of work
Therefore, in relation to the population, the number of deputies in the lower houses is similar. However, depending on the number of seats, each deputy costs almost 1.6 million euros a year in Italy, 1.4 million in Germany, 1 in France, 720 thousand euros in the United Kingdom, 250 thousand euros in Spain. This is the global figure obtained by dividing the total spending of the lower houses of the different countries among the elected deputies. So where does this big difference lie? Certainly not in the cost of administrative staff: there are 1,137 employees in the Chamber, 1,231 in the National Assembly, 2,162 in the Municipalities, 3,007 in the Bundestag, 762 in the Congress.
Does the Italian Chamber work more? It must be said that here there is the lateral activity of the Commissions difficult to quantify, but There are 50 days of plenary session in a year in Italy, the Bundestag makes 60, Congress 72, the National Assembly 128, the House of Commons 145. Are more laws being made? Over the last decade, the Chamber has drafted an annual average of 80 laws, the National Assembly 90, the Bundestag 132, the Congress 46 and the Municipalities 31.
The budgets of the Chambers
So what is the reason? 75.5% of the Chamber’s spending (747 million out of almost one billion) is attributable to personnel expenses. The remaining 24.5% (242 million) is used to cover services, missions and international activities, computer support, purchases and the ordinary and extraordinary maintenance of a large number of assets (items that have often been the subject of a complaint for waste) . The analysis of the budget documents of the other Parliaments shows that the weight of the workforce in the Spanish Congress is 45.1%, in the House of Commons 55.8%, in the Bundestag 62% and in the Assembly 64.6% national. %. Delving into the folds of the budget and taking into account the final account for 2019, we see that Social security activities for former members cost more (130 million) than current members’ pay (more than 128 million). And the expense of retired administrative personnel (276 million) is higher than that of assets (210 million). It is the price of the acquired rights that persists despite the scissors of recent years. With regard to former deputies, the high annuities of the past were transformed into a pension calculated with the tax method only in 2012, and to be entitled to it it is necessary to have done so for at least a period, or 5 years (when before a few months of service). Beginning in 2018, the new contribution-based calculation was also applied retroactively to the annuities of deputies who had completed their term on December 31, 2011. Side note: A resolution similar to the House resolution was adopted shortly thereafter by the Council of the Presidency of the Senate, but the Palazzo Madama Litigation Commission declared it illegitimate after appeals.
Deputies’ salaries
And we come to the calculation of what goes into the pockets of the deputies (more or less similar figure for the 315 senators). The comparison with its colleagues in other countries is complex due to the differences between the various parliamentary regulations, but we can try to calculate it and method. The reference is always to the monthly gross. A deputy from Montecitorio earns € 10,435. Plus 3,503 euros of compensation for living expenses in Rome. This assignment is given to everyone, even those already living in Rome. Plus 1,110 euros to travel in Cab, plus one card for free unlimited rides on the highway, by plane, by train, by ferry. € 3,690 is added to pay for the bag holders, but only 1800 euros need to be documented. In France, the salary is € 5,623, plus € 1,448 for general expenses and € 169 for taxis. They also have 5,373 euros for accommodation and food, transportation, entertainment and training expenses, but each expense must be documented. They have the right to a collaborator, but the administration pays it directly. In Germany, the monthly fee is 10,083 euros, plus 4,340 for mandate expenses (transportation, office or accommodation, personal assistant / university office, all to be documented). The Bundestag looks after the staff of the parliamentary group. In Great Britain 6,958 euros, plus 375 euros for transport to London. For those chosen outside of London alone, 2,112 euros are made available for accommodation and travel expenses, and refunds are at the bottom of the list. Members of the House of Commons have the right to a parliamentary assistant (average salary: about 2,300 euros gross per month) and other benefits depending on their institutional function, but their cost is directly regulated by the House. As for Spain, where the cost of living is lower, the base salary is just over € 2,800, plus € 871 in subsidy and € 1,645 in flat-rate assistance. Only those chosen outside of Madrid enjoy a reimbursement of food and accommodation expenses of 1,800 euros, plus a flat-rate reimbursement per km to go to their school in Madrid.
Privileges
In short, Italian MPs are better paid, have higher refunds that they don’t have to document, and unlimited travel expenses that can’t be justified.. The fact is that even today the salary of a deputy is 5.5 times higher than the average salary of an Italian (2,534 gross euros per month). In Germany the ratio is 3.9, in the UK 2.5, in France 2.5, in Spain 1.7. Then there is a totally Italian “singularity”: the presidents of the House, at the end of their term, benefit from office and secretariat for another 5 years, which becomes 10 for the former presidents of the Senate, who also have a driver available just in case. of necessity. By cutting the number of parliamentarians, with the reform of the Constitution, obviously costs will be reduced and a bit of democratic representation will be sacrificed (It will be necessary to expand the constituencies by assigning each elect a wider reference territory). Perhaps a more agile parliament will also be more efficient. Subsequently, the privileges and unjustified expenses with respect to the rest of Europe remain intact. And to eliminate them it is not necessary to change the Constitution.
September 17, 2020 | 22:34
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