Since the Kawakibi case, it has been generally known that members of the Flemish Parliament with a satisfactory warrant continue to receive unlimited stipends. Elsewhere, the employee falls back to sixty percent after one month. Forot believes this should also be the case for members of parliament. Gruen and Vlams-Belang agree that the other parties should come up with their own proposals.
On Monday, the Flemish Socialists proposed to the extended bureau – the executive committee of the Flemish Parliament – to adapt the statutes of members of parliament to the statutes for “ordinary” employees. At least when it comes to illness.
This arrangement is now very generous to the deputies. If they have a sick note and are therefore legally absent, they are paid in full, while the average employee falls back on sixty percent of salary after a month of illness.
The fact that the chart is now in the crosshairs can be attributed to the arrows of the Kawakibi. Open VLD’s previous political credibility was lost when body after body surfaced of fraud and embezzlement in its non-profit organizations.
• Siham Al-Kawakibi loses her first trial by knockout
She was kicked out of her party, but stuck to her seat in the Flemish Hemisphere. I immediately worked a sick note She was allowed to stay at home while keeping her parliamentary salary of around 6,000 euros a month. Nobody can explain it to him.
expenses
The Flemish Socialists’ proposal received support from other opposition parties Groen and Vlaams Belang. Green Party leader Bjorn Rzowska added that as far as he was concerned, the allowance for parliamentary expenditures could also be dropped. And he suggested, “If you’re sick, you won’t incur any expenses.” But the majority did not let their papers look at the desk.
Even if it was categorical in the past: the system must be adapted. Willem Frederick Schiltz, leader of the Open VLD party, says his group is working on an action plan itself. At CD&V, Peter Van Rompuy says they “will support all proposals that can put an end to this completely unacceptable situation”. N-VA’s Wilfred Vandeley is also on that line.
• Six months sick and six months fully paid
But for that, the majority is looking to Flemish Parliament Speaker Lisbeth Homanns (N-VA). She is still awaiting legal advice that will determine whether she can send an examination doctor to Al-Kawakibi. Meanwhile, House lawyers themselves are working on a proposal to amend the statute. “It’s very easy to say something without legal backing,” she says. “I’m the first to do something about this, but then it has to stand up.”
These recommendations should be available next week. This feature is coming to an end. “And who knows, maybe other parliaments will also follow us to make it work,” Homans subtly adds.
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