MPs take pay cut in austerity budget
1,000 less a month as unpopular package nears approval
27 July, 12:14
(ANSA) - Rome, July 27 - Italian MPs on Tuesday voted to
take a pay cut of 1,000 euros ($1,300) a month as part of
austerity measures aimed at bringing Italy's budget deficit in
line with European Union rules.Senators will also take a similar cut as the government pushes the unpopular package through parliament.
Half of the reduction, or 500 euros, will be taken out of the MPs' daily expense account and the remaining 500 will come from the cash they get for staffers.
Italy's parliamentarians are among the highest paid in Europe.
The 24.9-billion-euro austerity package of spending cuts has sparked protests from public-sector workers including teachers, firemen, doctors, police, magistrates and, most recently, Italian diplomats around the world.
Pensioners, theatre companies and regional governors are also at the forefront of opposition to the package, which aims to bring Italy's budget deficit, which was 5.9% of GDP last year, below the eurozone's mandatory 3% deficit-to-GDP ratio by 2012.
