Status: 07/10/2021 6:43 p.m.
According to a study, the additional income of members of the Bundestag has increased significantly. Above all, MPs from “business-related” parties earn well. The authors of the study call for the rules to be tightened even further.
According to a study, members of the Bundestag have achieved an estimated 53 million euros in additional income in the current legislative period – significantly more than in the previous legislative periods. This emerges from a publication by the union-related Otto Brenner Foundation, which has evaluated the publicly available information on the additional earnings of members of the Bundestag on the website of the Bundestag.
The foundation has been carrying out this study since 2009, so it has data for the current and the two previous legislative periods. At the first balance sheet at the end of the legislative period from 2009 to 2013, the additional income would have been estimated at 30 million euros. An exact amount cannot be determined, as the income has only had to be given in rough steps up to now.
“Privileged minority of MPs”
In the legislative period that is now coming to an end, around a third of those with 261 members of parliament were in paid secondary employment. The Otto Brenner Foundation spoke of the “problem of a privileged minority of MPs”. This is particularly widespread among the “business-related” parties CDU, CSU and before the FDP. For example, the FDP only provides 11.5 percent of all MPs, but with a share of 20.3 percent among the “top-ups” it still holds the top position, according to the authors of the study.
Secondary activities in addition to the Bundestag mandate are expressly permitted by law as long as there is no conflict of interest and the parliamentary activity is the focus. The income from this must, however, be reported to the Bundestag Presidium above a certain amount and will be announced on the Bundestag’s website under “Information subject to publication”.
Aggravation after mask scandal
So far, this has only been done in rough steps starting from 1,000 euros a month or 10,000 euros a year. From 250,000 euros, there is no further breakdown – income that is just above that falls into the same level as sums in the millions.
After the scandals surrounding lucrative mask sales and paid lobbying, the Bundestag passed stricter transparency rules for members of parliament in mid-June. According to its own information, the Otto Brenner Foundation recorded the data for its study on June 1, 2021 – before the new publication rules came into force.
Indication in future “in euros and cents”
According to the new rules, income must in future be reported if it exceeds EUR 1,000 per month or EUR 3,000 for the whole year. It is also stipulated that the exact amount must be published “in euros and cents”.
The Otto Brenner Foundation called for further tightening. Study author Sven Osterberg spoke out in favor of a commission “which is endowed with resources and rights and ensures that compliance with the rules is monitored”. In addition to MPs, this body should also include external experts. Despite individual tightenings, Osterberg believes that the impression “that parliament can be bought” remains.