Over a million euros: Lower Saxony pays lavish MP allowances!

Over a million euros: Lower Saxony pays lavish MP allowances!

A closer look at the financial structures in the Lower Saxony state parliament shows that the parliamentary groups dug pretty deep into their pockets last year. A total of over 1.1 million euros in allowances went to the MPs. Loud n-tv In particular, the SPD paid out the largest amounts with around 449,000 euros, followed by the CDU with 431,000 euros. Particularly eye-catching: The AfD, the smallest parliamentary group with only 17 members, spent the most per capita at over 208,000 euros.

But it's not just the big political groups who are raking in the allowances. In total, almost 50 of the 146 members of the state parliament, i.e. around one in three, receive a special functional allowance in addition to their basic salary. These get loud t online paid from the parliamentary group coffers, which are fully funded by taxpayers' money.

References and criticism

In addition to the basic monthly compensation of around 8,550 euros, members of parliament receive a tax-free allowance of almost 1,750 euros. This brings their monthly income to more than 10,300 euros before the functional allowances are added. But this handling of money is met with criticism: The Taxpayers' Association is calling for a legal limit on allowances and warning that such payments could affect the independence of MPs.

• Die SPD teilte rund 450.000 Euro aus, die CDU etwa 430.000 Euro und die AfD circa 210.000 Euro an Sonderzahlungen aus.
• Der CDU-Fraktionsvorsitzende verdient knapp 95.000 Euro, während sein SPD-Pendant über 70.000 Euro an zusätzlichen Beträgen erhält.

The CDU emphasizes the parliamentary group's autonomy and points out that these expenses come from the parliamentary group's funds provided for by law. For the Greens, the legal situation is demanding; they are committed to equal treatment of all MPs, while the AfD emphasizes the need for allowances for parliamentary group work.

Increases in sight

Another aspect that will be important in the future is the planned increase in salaries, which is due to come into force from 2024. The state parliament unanimously decided that the basic compensation would increase by around 470 euros. The tax-free allowance is to be increased by 80 euros, which will increase MPs' salaries by around 550 euros per month. These changes were initiated jointly by the SPD and the Greens and are based on general income developments.

The CDU's critical stance on the increase raises questions: Is this a step in the right direction or is it more of a “smear campaign” in the words of the SPD? What is certain is that the topic of allowances and remuneration remains a hot topic in the Lower Saxony state parliament and the discussion is certainly far from over.