Denada Jushi
In July 2022, Investigative Network Albania published an article ""Deputy privileges, up to 1500 euros per diem"WithThe research shows that in addition to the fact that the performance of MPs is low in parliament, when it comes to expenses, they are high. Less active MPs resulted in more per diem and expense benefits, which contradicts their efficiency. Housing for MPs who are not residents of Tirana is another “bait” used by legislators to get more money. But these incomes and benefits listed in 2022 seem not to have been enough for those elected this term.
But three years later, what has changed?
In the first quarter of 2023, Albanian lawmakers rarely came together in a unanimous vote, the reason being the increase in salaries for themselves. This increase has led to the most "expensive" deputies in financial costs.
During 2024, 140 Albanian MPs received almost 5 million euros in salaries and benefits. Expenses for the 140 people's representatives in the Assembly have expanded significantly. Until 2023, the salaries and benefits of the Albanian parliamentarians amounted to 2500 euros, while for 2024 this value for parliamentarians has gone between 3000 and 4000 euros, depending on the benefits they have. In addition to salaries, a number of MPs are paid for other Services such as parliamentary committees, travel allowances, phone cards, or apartment rent.
More pay but not more performance.
When spending continues to rise, paradoxically performance continues to decline. In the Institute for Policy Studies study, "No progress, 2024 for the months of January-August 2024, regarding the efficiency of the activities of the members of the Assembly, the most committed names continue to remain the same: Erion Braçe, Ina Zhupa, Jorida Tabaku, Bujar Leskaj and Petrit Vasili. While the members of the Assembly who "cost more" are Enslemvera Zake from the Socialist Party, who has cost Albanian taxpayers 3,228,017 lekë. Next come Antonela Dhima 3,091,704 lekë, Mirela Pitushi 3,072,297 lekë and Teuta Ramaj 3,057,035 lekë. This figure is calculated based on salaries and benefits declared to the Parliament in the months January-August 2024.
What is striking is that the MPs who have incurred the most expenses have not been involved in parliamentary activity, neither in committees nor in parliamentary sessions, nor by being active or proposing initiatives.
Afrim Krasniqi, Executive Director of ISP, tells INA Media that there is a disconnect between efficiency and financial cost to the taxpayer.
"The inverted pyramid of MPs"ë who are less active have more higher benefits. These MPs are mainly MPsëof the suburbs, whichët leave no trace and in many cases do not even represent the electorate. PëFor example, a group of deputiesë"They go to every committee, to every meeting, they travel around the districts, which are not political products, but are only for the purpose of financial gain in honoraria."
Other benefits besides salary
In addition to the standard salary, MPs receive income from participation in committees and other parliamentary activities. Another element is support Services, starting from telephone bills and payments for housing rent or travel allowances.
According to calculations by Mario Brakaj, an economics journalist, a significant portion of the budget is taken up by MPs' honoraria, led by hotel payments.
Stelephone fees and hotel accommodation fees, Albanian MPs have benefited from more than 223 million lek or about 2.3 million euros. In line with salaries, the largest bonuses were also given in the last months of the year. In terms of honoraria, domestic and international travel accounts for the largest share of expenses with 24%, followed by bonuses for participation in commissions, telephone, rent and hotels.
According to Krasniqi, these Services, such as telephone payments, with the advancement of technology are Services that are no longer used through calls, but most of them are done via the Internet, or would have to be covered by the deputies themselves.
But even for this, the payments continue to remain high. An Albanian MP receives 17.000 lek in reimbursement per month just for telephone expenses, according to Assembly decision no. 114/2014Also, among the highest expenses covered is fuel, where reimbursement varies up to 40.000 thousand lek each month.
As for apartment rent quotas, 19 deputies of this legislature are paid 35.000 lek per month, with the exception of deputy Sorina Kote, who receives double the amount for house rent at 70.000 lek, referring to Assembly data from November 2024.
According to information published by this institution, for an 8-month period, 105 orders were issued for travel abroad, for the travel of a total of 339 people, of whom 212 MPs, 25 political staff and 122 administrative staff, for which 7 million lek were spent on per diems, 17 million lek on tickets and 16 million lek on accommodation and other expenses such as taxis, translation, car rental, etc.
According to Afrim Krasniqi, parliamentary life suffers from a lack of transparency. He states that “"Another element is that the parliament does not have a verification system, because there are MPs who receive rental benefits and meanwhile have apartments in Tirana. The lack of transparency about financial costs is great."
Absence without reason
But in addition to expenses, some MPs have saved the parliament money by their absence. The Albanian Parliament has decided to penalize the non-payment of salaries to MPs who have not shown up for parliamentary sessions. Tatjana Piro, a SP MP in the Fier district, leads in the number of absences, in second place is Agron Çela, then Monika Kryemadhi and Agron Shehaj, who have been withheld from 1000 to 1200 euros for 10-12 days that they have not been present.
MPs such as Lulzim Basha, Fatmir Mediu, Agron Duka, Dashamir Shehi, etc. have been absent from parliamentary sessions, but with few absences.
Albanian MPs more expensive than counterparts in the region
In Albania, Albanian MPs are paid better than their counterparts in Kosovo, Montenegro or Bosnia and Herzegovina. Until the Albanian Parliament decided to increase salaries and benefits, Albanian MPs had less support in the administrative sphere compared to the region, but with the increase in 2023, in addition to the increase in salaries, honoraria and privileges have also increased. In Kosovo, the basic salary of an MP is 1720 euros, significantly lower than in Albania. In the Republic of North Macedonia, legislators are paid an average of 2000 euros, while in Bosnia and Herzegovina this figure is between 1800 and 2500 euros. Even in these countries, if the people's representatives are involved in committees or other parliamentary activities, this figure increases, but again in difference with our country, where the salaries and benefits of MPs go up to 4000 euros.
For 2024, the Albanian Parliament had a total budget of 1,232,566,000.00 Lekë, where the salaries of the deputies took up 40% of the total budget of the institution with the total amount for salaries of 491,410,242.00 Lekë, or 67% of the total budget for legislative expenditures. Then with 24% of the budget were the operating expenses, to support the latter in the implementation of their function, with a total amount of 294,226,000.00 Lekë.
For researcher Afrim Krasniqi, there are elements of legislation that need to be reviewed because they increase costs, with one of the points being the existence of a supplementary pension.
""Receiving lifelong financial treatment for an MP, even if he or she no longer runs, increases the costs due to the supplementary pension, tripling the cost of benefiting from it."
In an assembly where abandoning sessions, boycotts, or 7-minute sessions have replaced lengthy debates on laws aimed at improving the lives of citizens, it is paradoxical that the luxuries of those who should be the voice of the citizens continue to increase, making our MPs expensive in cost but not necessarily more dedicated to their mission.
The calculation was made in euros because salaries in the region are in different currencies and were calculated in euros to see the figures in a comparative manner.
