The lower house eliminated the retirement benefit in 2011, but there are still more than 200 former parliamentarians who receive it
The controversy over whether Laura Borras must collect from parliament, in the event of being sentenced for prevarication and documentary falsification, has opened a more extensive debate on the economic rights of the deputies of the legislative Chambers. The commons They proposed a reform for the specific case of the Junts leader, focused on preventing someone with a corruption sentence from receiving compensation from the Catalan Chamber. But the Socialists went ahead and registered a broader bill, which involves eliminating the cessation benefit and the life pension of all the former presidents of Parliament. No party has opposed the initiative, but there are nuances.
cs He wants to broaden the debate and also eliminate the benefit for former heads of the Generalitat, as well as the allowance received by the opposition leader, some reforms that would affect three socialist leaders – Pasqual Maragall, José Montilla and Salvador Illa. On the other side, ERC looks towards Madrid and asks to end the life pensions that Congress and the Senate pay to more than 200 deputies or their widowed spouses. In 2011, the Cortes eliminated the norm, but it was not done retroactively, so they dedicate more than 200.00 euros per month, which means 2.5 million euros per yearto these payments.
The charge for life
In the case of parliament, only retired former presidents who have held office for more than two years can receive a lifetime pension. It is an assignment of 60% of the salary – which is more than 155,000 euros per year. They currently receive it Joan Rigol, Nuria De Gispert and Carmen Forcadell. If the PSC initiative does not prosper, they will also have the right to receive it Ernest Benach and Roger Torrent when they retire, while Laura Borras It could be more difficult for her to be granted, because she has served the two-year term when she was already suspended as a parliamentarian. Currently, these pensions cost about 300,000 euros per year to public coffers.
In it Congress and the Senate There were two benefits until 2011: a lifetime pension –which allowed the maximum pension to be reached– and income supplements. In order to be entitled to obtain the lifetime benefit, it was necessary to have practiced for a minimum of seven years. Those who did not arrive at this time could request a lower supplement, which no longer exists, but the reform was not retroactive, so 152 former deputies and 63 widowed spouses receive it. Altogether, it has a annual cost of 2.5 million euros. Among those who earn more money, more than 3,500 euros per month, are Merce Pigem (CiU), Jaime Ignacio of Burg (PP) and paul castellano (PSOE).
Compensation for lack of unemployment
Deputies do not have the right to collect unemployment, but the three Chambers provide compensation for when they are terminated and have no other income, neither public nor private. According to Catalan regulations, they charge 25% of the monthly allowance received according to the position and multiplied by the number of years exercised, or the proportional part in months if a legislature has been worked. If it has been exercised for two, three or four, the percentage is 50%, 75% and 100%, respectively. It is charged monthly until the benefit is exhausted or a new job is obtained and the last word on the concession is held by the Board.
There is currently no benefit of this type active. The last deputies who received it were Elsa Artadi (together) and Nuria Picas (ERC) for a value of 6,281 and 3,944 euros, respectively. But in previous legislatures there are much higher amounts, due to the fact that some deputies spent long periods in the Chamber. For example, Albert Battle (Together) came to collect almost 40,000 euros, Dolors Camats (ICV) more than 33,000, a figure similar to that of Gloria Renom (CiU), or Montserrat Capdevila (PSC) that collected more than 22,000 –despite its implications in the ‘Mercuri case’–. But one of the highest was that of Dolors Montserrat Cullere (PP) who received a total of 80,000 euros, after spending more than 27 years working at the institution.
In the case of Congressthe same as in the Senate, the amount to be received is equivalent to one month’s salary without supplements –3,050 euros– for each year in office or a higher fraction of six months, up to a maximum of 24 monthly payments. Therefore, it is a pension that expires after two years at the latest. The maximum that could be charged, after 24 years in office, is 73,200 euros, while for a normal four-year legislature, the compensation is 12,200 euros. Only those who have been active for more than two years can collect this pay. Currently, there is no deputy collecting this benefit.
Extra compensation for presidents
In the case of ParliamentHowever, there is another prerogative. An extraordinary compensation in case of having held the presidency of the Chamber. Specifically, they are entitled to a allocation of 80% of salary –of up to 155,000 euros– during half the time they have held office, but with a minimum of one legislature. I mean, four years. To this day there is no former president in this situation, but it is the provision of discord in the Borràs case, because it would allow him to collect 120,000 euros until 2027, even if she was convicted of prevarication and documentary falsification. This circumstance does not occur in the case of former presidents of Congress or the Senate, although their current salaries are higher.