Nice work if you can get it

Tuesday, 17 April 2012 16:07

Written by Editor

The 109 MPs who take their seats in parliament in Sevilla this week will earn a minimum salary of €3,113 a month which rises to €3,913 with allowances. These include €200 a week for food and lodging for MPs living within a 100 km-radius of Sevilla. This goes up to €270 for those living between 101 and 200 km away, €340 for between 201 and 300 km and €410 for more than 300 km.

The speaker gets an extra €1,356 while the deputy chairmen of committees and party spokespeople get an extra €965. Lesser officials receive extra pay according to importance in the pecking order.  All MPs will be provided with a “mobile office” consisting of a laptop with ADSL and a mobile phone.

MPs using their own cars will be paid 25 cents per km while the rest will get a travel allowance. Their social security will be paid but they won’t be able to go on the dole when they lose their seats in an election.

However, they will be able to apply for economic help based on their former salaries for a period of three to twelve months.