The proposed increase in parliamentary allowances is facing criticism from several political groups. The Union defends the current system, with the party’s first parliamentary head, Steffen Bilger (CDU), informing the “Welt” (Wednesday edition) that the amount of the allowance is no longer determined by political decisions but follows an automatically regulated procedure. He explained that the benchmark is the development of average wages in the previous year, and that reductions are also possible. According to him, this mechanism creates transparency and accountability.
The SPD parliamentary faction also supports the procedure. Dirk Wiese, the faction’s first parliamentary head, stated that they are sticking to the existing system. He added that they no longer vote on the allowance amount for good reasons, noting that the mechanism is tied to the development of average wages from the preceding year and has proven itself reliable. He also pointed out that allowances can decline, as happened in 2021.
The Greens also defend the regulation, with the party’s parliamentary spokesperson for constitutional law, Helge Limburg, telling a newspaper that they see the adjustment mechanism for parliamentary allowances as a vital part of the system because it ensures transparency and prevents the deputies from deciding on the adjustment themselves each year. While a suspension of the mechanism is possible, it would require strong justification, and he noted that no concrete proposal for this exists yet.
However, the rest of the opposition is critical. Bernd Baumann, the first parliamentary head of the AfD faction, fundamentally rejects the regulation, referring to earlier initiatives. He stated that the AfD faction has opposed the statutory rule of automatically adjusting parliamentary allowances every year since the beginning. Consequently, he said they have repeatedly submitted motions for the repeal of this rule in the Parliamentary Law, most recently in the summer of 2025.
The Left faction is also against the planned increase. The faction’s first parliamentary head, Ina Latendorf, announced that the group rejected the planned allowance increase starting July 1, 2026, just as in previous years. She stated that this opposition stems from the party’s basic stance, observing an urgent need for reform. Consequently, she confirmed that they will again initiate a parliamentary motion on the subject this year.
Current calculations indicate that starting July 1, the allowances for Bundestag deputies are set to rise by approximately 500 euros per month, reaching about 12,330 euros gross. This increase is based on a legally mandated mechanism that links the allowances to the development of nominal wages. This adjustment occurs during a phase of planned reforms in the social state, which involves both savings and increased burdens for citizens.
