Curious salary scandals

These politicians cash in at “chancellor level”

Seven members of parliament earn at least as much as the Federal Chancellor.

(Bild: Krone KREATIV/stock.adobe.com, Martin A. Jöchl )

Since Monday, two provincial governors have been earning more than Vice-Chancellor Werner Kogler. For some time now, however, several members of the National Council have also been earning at the same level as the Federal Chancellor. The "Krone" knows the background to the curious salary shifts in top politics and knows which party is now declaring war on these luxury salaries.

Payday instead of election day is currently the name of the game in top politics more than ever. Thanks to real and "half" zero pay rounds, Vienna's Mayor Michael Ludwig (SPÖ) and Lower Austria's Governor Johanna Mikl-Leitner (ÖVP) have been earning more since Monday than the Green Vice-Chancellor Werner Kogler and the outgoing ÖVP National Council President Wolfgang Sobotka.

(Bild: BKA, Reinhard Holl, Screenshot ORF, Clemens Groh, Zwefo, Martin Jöchl, Screenshot krone.tv, Krone KREATIV)

Carinthia, Vienna and Lower Austria will increase their salaries by the full inflation adjustment of 9.7 percent from July 1, while all other federal states have already increased their salaries by 4.85 percent since the turn of the year. In contrast to other federal states, Vienna and Lower Austria have so far - as reported - followed virtually every salary increase for politicians in lockstep. However, the latest parliamentary transparency data is also highly controversial.

As reported, despite a basic income of more than 10,000 euros gross per month, our MPs are also employed many times over on the side. There are 255 part-time jobs for every 183 members of parliament. And in some cases, politicians are paid even more for their additional income than for their political job. Seven MPs even cash in at chancellor level.