The CDU/CSU parliamentary group has stated its intention to suspend the automatic increase in parliamentary allowances scheduled for July 1st. Steffen Bilger, the Parliamentary Managing Director, told RTL and ntv that politicians themselves must contribute, stating, “Even we politicians must make a contribution”.
He further explained that the party plans to hold group discussions on Monday and Tuesday to introduce a proposal for suspending these allowance hikes. This potential suspension is intended to be part of a package deal involving other reforms, such as the healthcare reform, reflecting a wider willingness within society to accept structural changes and associated burdens.
Bilger confirmed that discussions regarding the matter have been ongoing with the coalition partner. He stressed that maintaining the existing mechanism is also crucial. While acknowledging that salary development laws determine the pay of politicians-and that they cannot decide this independently-he emphasized the procedural hurdle. Because departing from the norm requires passing a specific law, it is not a simple decision.
Despite the complexity, Bilger affirmed that their party is in agreement with the SPD on the necessity of taking “this step now”. Given that the allowances are slated to rise automatically on July 1st, Bilger concluded by insisting that the process must be swiftly put into motion.
