Italian officials get la dolce vita
A recent survey of EU lawmaker pay shows that Italian legislators make an average of $20,700 per month, including perks and expenses.
As Italians feel the pinch of tough new austerity measures, their politicians are living like fat cats, said Barbie Latza Nadeau in TheDailyBeast.com. According to a new EU survey of lawmaker pay, Italian legislators make an average of $20,700 per month, including lavish perks and expenses. That’s $2,600 more than French lawmakers, the second highest paid, and three times more than Spanish ones, who earn $6,000 a month. Italian politicians enjoy free travel within Italy; a tax-free housing allowance; $5,000 per month for secretaries, even if they don’t have any; and subsidized gourmet dining.
Public disgust over the revelations was summed up this way on a popular Facebook page that airs parliamentary secrets: “Anna, 74-year-old retiree, $550 a month; Domenico Scilipoti, 54-year-old parliamentarian, $18,920 a month. This is Italy.”
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