Speaking generally and somewhat populistically — we have 100 deputies in the Saeima and 31 million euros for the salaries of everyone working in the Saeima. Is this a lot or a little, how should it be assessed — this question was posed to Saeima deputy (not affiliated with any factions), expert in competition law Skaidrite Abrama, writes LA.LV.
“Before I came into politics, I thought that 100 deputies was too many. Comparing with other countries and their populations, it seems that a smaller number could suffice. But our Satversme is what it is — it is the fundamental law of our country,” noted Abrama.
She explained that the Saeima budget for salaries includes not only the deputies' salaries but also the salaries of their assistants, members of the presidium, and support staff — a total of about 400 people.
There is an opinion that the Saeima needs to allocate funds for representation purposes, as this is the parliament; however, based on Abrama's experience, many of these expenses could be reduced. For example, why does a member of the presidium need both a bureau head and an assistant — is one not enough?
“Certainly, there are areas to pay attention to and where something can be done,” says Abrama about possible savings, but she adds that on certain issues, the administration is not allowed to comment.
Such issues include a new position established this year — a representative for strengthening diplomatic relations with the USA, for which 200,000 euros were allocated. According to Abrama, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been asked for clarification — was there really no opportunity to build relations with the USA until now? But that was a decision made by the presidium.
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