Pirates criticize the system of remuneration of politicians and propose changes

Prague, 15 January 2025 - At a press conference of the Czech Pirate Party, Jakub Michálek, the chair of the club, and Ivan Bartoš, MP, presented proposals to change the system of remunerating politicians, which they consider inefficient and unfair.

Transport refunds: excessive and abusive

Jakub Michálek criticized the high compensation for transport. He said that, for example, an MP travelling from Ostrava could receive up to CZK 57 000 a month for transport, while the actual cost of travel was much lower. "Even after deducting all expenses, politicians are left with 75 % of this amount as net profit," Michálek stressed. He proposed a drastic reduction in these refunds, as fuel prices have remained at a similar level since 2012.

Accumulation of functions and salaries

Another problem, according to the Pirates, is the accumulation of political positions, where politicians receive full salaries for several jobs at the same time. "Some regional politicians earn over 200,000 crowns a month, more than ministers," Michálek pointed out. The Pirates are proposing that income from a second office be limited to 40 % of salary if a politician holds more than one office at the same time. However, this proposal did not pass in the lower house due to opposition from ANO and ODS MPs.

Transparency as the key to trust

Ivan Bartoš stressed that citizens' trust in politics requires transparency. "Pirates publish details of the use of public funds. Other politicians should also play with open cards," he said. In his view, the refunds are a way of hiding MPs' real salaries. The allowances should either be strictly controlled or transparently transferred to the basic salary.

Criticism of the government and the consistency of the Pirates

Bartoš rejected criticism that the Pirates only began to address this topic after leaving the opposition. "We came up with proposals to limit salary accumulation in 2017. Unfortunately, the then government coalition blocked them," He said. The Pirates say the government is addressing politicians' salaries in an unsystematic way, which is creating unnecessary tension between the public and politicians.

The Pirates believe that politics should be a service to citizens, not a way for politicians to generate extra income from public funds. If their proposals to change the system do not pass, the Pirates will not support any further proposals regarding politicians' salaries.

The press conference concluded with a call for greater transparency and fairer remuneration in the public sector.

kal / gnews.cz