No one has yet figured out what caused the latest collapse. Still, I recall what General Stonewall Jackson said in other circumstances: 'Anyone who does not see the hand of God in this is wilfully blind.' Meanwhile back here in Brussels today, EU civil servants have been carrying out a 'demonstration' -- they are too snobby to call it a strike -- in support of their demand that they be given a 3.7 percent increase in pay. I've just come from the daily press conference at the Commission where one of the civil servants stood up and explained how the eurocrats have a right to expect the fall in their standard of living to be remedied by a pay increase. A fall in their standard of living? Earlier this month an investigation by the German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) investigated just what the standard of living is for these EU civil servants. Open Europe, in its handy way, translated the story. FAZ found that European civil servants earn 'between €2,336 (£2,105) and €17,697 (£15,943)' a month, adding that 'the 60 Director Generals make about double the money of those with comparable functions in Germany.' More, 'university level graduates without any professional experience make at least €4,190 (£3,774) a month when they start.' As for taxation, eurocrats 'are not being taxed in their home countries, but they have to pay the Community tax, which goes from 8 percent to 45 percent with the highest tax bracket applying on wages above €6,700 (£6,036) per month.' Plus, there are 'a lot of tax free benefits: living allowances of 2 percent of the wage plus €160 (£144), a child allowance of €350 (£315) per child, an educational allowance of €240 (£216) and diverse other special allowances...they benefit from a place for their children in a highly-subsidised European school. They get much better health care than normal Belgians for a contribution of only 2 percent of their wage. And on it goes through travel allowances costing European taxpayers €45m (£40.5m) a year. FAZ didn't even touch on the golden goodbyes the outgoing European Commissions are getting now -- for example the outgoing Commissioner for the Internal Market and Services, leaving Brussels after just one five year term, will get a goodbye worth €1.2m (£1.08m). He will also receive an EU pension of €51,000 (£45,945) a year, a lump sum payment of a couple of hundred thousand, and a 'step down' payment of €537,000 (£483,460) over three years -- to help him adjust to life without his €238,919 (£215,242) annual salary plus perks. Also, it appears the MEPs may be able to claim they are entitled to the same 3.7 percent increase in their pay that the civil servants are demanding. And, for the look of things, going to get. God knows what ought to happen to this greedy, greedy place. One hopes that the divine verdict on Sodom and Gomorrah may have established a precedent.14 December 2009 1:37 PM
God knows
Over the weekend, part of the ceiling at the European Parliament buildings in Strasbourg fell, just hours before the MEPs were due to arrive for a session. This is the second time in 18 months that concrete ceiling slabs have come crashing down at the parliament.
Share this article:
Monday, 14 December 2009
Posts
