Many salaries and few jobs, MPs profiting even after term ends

Through the law on the rights and responsibilities of the MP, and the Kosovo Assembly regulation, MPs have been regulated to receive their basic salary even a year after the mandate ends. Not counting compensations for participation in parliamentary sessions and commissions, the MP's basic salary in the Kosovo Assembly is 1,000 and 547 euros. Organisations monitoring the work of the Kosovo Assembly are demanding that the law be reviewed and compensation for MPs be made up to half a salary for a year after the mandate.

Kosovo's Parliament deputies have been taking care of their benefits since the mandate ended.

Currently, on the basis of the legal framework among all MPs who complete the mandate, and do not receive any further salary from Kosovo's budget, they enjoy the MP's salary for another year.

And this is interrupted when they start another working relationship or the MP is re-elected to the new legislature.

“Based on Article 14 and Article 16 MP's Law of Rights and responsibilities and the Rule of the Assembly, Addition No. 4, Rule 2., the MP, up to 12 months from the end of the mandate, has a right to the basic wage, if there is no financial inflow from any other source”, says in a response to the Kosovo Assembly, given for kp.

But at the Democratic Institute of Kosovo, they estimate that a calendar year is a long period, and they think that there should be compensation for up to six months.

“We like KDI appreciate that the pension issue or the issue of compensation of MPs after the end of the mandate, is a practice which is almost widespread across Europe and in countries with even more consolidated systems that we, but it would be good for the deputies, respectively, to try to shorten this time since a year of calendar is a long-term period and creates great costs for the country's budget, especially considering the wage level that MPs enjoy, so it would be good to take models such as six maximum months to be compensed by <1>

Anni, why they were deputies only a year, those of the last legislature, which ended in January this year with the dissolution of the Assembly, will be paid by the state for a total of 12 months.

The seventh legislature of the Kosovo Assembly has lasted only a year, and because of the spread that the Coronobrus in Kosovo, the work of the Assembly has not developed normally.

Albana Rexha of Democracy Plus says that because of the situation with the pandemic, MPs have had to not accept full compensation, thus contributing to the aid of citizens who were hit by the pandemic.

“We estimate that it is necessary to review this transitional compensation of 12 months and thus cut the length of 12 months in at least six months or cut wages, not full but only half of it. Since this has not happened voluntarily on the part of MPs, even though it may be viewed as a symbolic one, but this would convey a very good message because MPs would be solidified with the people in order to get this part of the economic situation as easily as possible due to indemection”, she says.

Despite the challenges and crisis caused by pandemics in the economy, MPs have received their salaries in full.

While for the sixth legislature, MPs who have carried out the passing salary are paid 1,342,161 euros.