Estonia’s parties say they’re ready to slash MP expense allowances | News

MP Marek Reinaas, deputy chair of the Eesti 200 group, recommends cutting expense allowances by half. This would mean that instead of €2,000 a month, MPs would receive €1,000 a month each, ETV’s “Aktuaalne kaamera” reported Saturday.

“At the moment, the use [of these allowances] has gotten habitually lavish somehow,” Reinaas said. “And as a businessperson, I certainly can’t imagine that an employee would be compensated, for example, for all of their living expenses, travel expenses, transport costs and whatever else on top of that.”

Center MP Vadim Belobrovtsev said that Eesti 200’s idea is aimed at improving their party and the Riigikogu’s reputations.

“I don’t believe this is what will actually resolve the situation,” Belobrovtsev commented. “There’s still a much larger and more complex issue involved here that needs to be addressed a bit differently.”

The Center Party suggests that MPs should be paid salaries and given expense allowances according to their contributions. They likewise suggest that money could also be saved on the Board of the Riigikogu, for example by reducing its number of advisers.

First Vice-President of the Riigikogu Toomas Kivimägi (Reform) highlighted that four of Estonia’s six parliamentary parties are starting to reach a consensus. He did not, however, specify by how much expense allowances may decrease come next April.

“I hesitate to say this sincerely, only because I don’t want to paint myself into a corner as one parliamentary group has actually done by stating their position directly and openly,” Kivimägi noted. “After that, it becomes very difficult to achieve compromise; that would mean walking more or less back on that position.”

Isamaa MP Riina Solman said that they are willing to reduce expense allowances, but will stand up for the interests of MPs from further away.

“Everything takes longer for MPs from rural areas anyway; they have higher costs involved in commuting back and forth,” Solman pointed out.

Former President of the Riigikogu Eiki Nestor (SDE) recalled that reducing MPs’ expense allowances has been discussed in the Riigikogu repeatedly. He is unsure whether this time will see a bill be agreed on either.

“Maybe it isn’t necessary to get into all those regulations so deeply,” he said. “Instead, just make a deal among MPs – a gentlemen’s agreement, so to speak – that we’ll spend this much, a certain percentage, and no more.”

The next discussion regarding expense allowances is scheduled to take place in early November.

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