The anti-establishment 5-Star
Movement (M5S) is set to present a bill to cut lawmakers'
salaries by half in the Lower House on Monday.
M5S leader Beppe Grillo announced on his blog on Sunday
that Monday would be a "historic' day because of the bill and
called on activists to rally outside parliament on Tuesday to
support the initiative.
Comedian-turned-politician Grillo said halving MPs'
salaries would do more to reduce the cost of Italy's political
class than the government's controversial Constitutional reform
to overhaul the country's institutions, which will be put to a
referendum in December.
"This law could be approved within days and it would make
it possible to save up to 87 million euros a year," Grillo
wrote.
"That is well above the savings estimated in the reform,
but without making the Constitution and the life of all Italian
citizens worse".
M5S parliamentarians pledge to take home less than half of
their base gross salary of over 10,000 euros a month and give
back the rest.
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