While Consell rushes to prepare the 2024 budget, Cortes has his own budget ready to be included in the regional accounts. And if the Generalitat expects a decrease in total expenditure compared to the previous year, the Parliament’s accounts not only decrease, but also increase slightly by 0.47% to 34.1 million, that is, almost 160,000 euros more. But if the increase in public wages is finally approved, this figure could be higher, which could affect even the MPs who compensate for it.
As stated in the preliminary budget draft of the regional parliament, which this newspaper has access to, the first of which was prepared by Llanos Massó as president, “In case the General Budget Law of the State and the Generalitat for 2024 includes increases” In case of payment of wages in favor of public employee personnel, the Presidency of the Cortes, within the conditions provided for in the said laws The fee will continue to be updated. That is, if there is an increase in the salaries of civil servants in the regional accounts and State accounts (if any), the Cortes will have to undertake them.
The agreement made by the Spanish Government with the unions is to increase public salaries by 2% in 2024. However, the lack of investment prevented the (incumbent) central executive from preparing a budget for next year that would take this increase into account. It is possible to implement this increase without the need for new accounts, but this must be passed by the Council of Ministers. The Ministry of Finance had assured two weeks ago that it would take into account the increase in its accounts.
The increase applies to all public employees, but will not affect MPs, whose departure was initially planned to be 3.2 million euros plus 2.5 million in supplements. Cortes’ preliminary draft budget states that “salary increases” that may be set in state or territory budgets “will not apply to parliamentarians”.
The opposition abstains
But sources at the Home Affairs Government Commission said this point was part of the discussion on Thursday and Consell’s rhetoric could change depending on the path taken by senior officials. In this commission, the financial project received the approval of the representatives of the Chamber, with the abstention of PSPV and Compromís, in favor of PP and Vox, for inclusion in the Generalitat’s accounts.
If we do not take into account these possible increases that concern neither public employees nor MPs, personnel expenditures are already experiencing an increase compared to last year; From 22.6 million to 22.9 million, that is 335,000 euros more, an increase of 1.48%. In 2023, it was decided to increase the salary of 0.5%, an extraordinary salary of 200,000 euros for temporary staff, an increase in three-year periods (30,000 euros) and an increase in the cost of insurance (50,000 euros).
While Operations, Current Transfers and Real Investments decreased, Financial Assets remained the same, the only section that increased was Personnel. The one that fell the most was Operation, with 2% less (€129,000) due to 1.24% of investments and 0.77% of transfers. The 33% drop in the estimated cost of electricity supply is striking: from 1.2 million to 800,000 euros.
And if the chamber’s global economic accounts have not experienced major changes after 28 months despite the change in the composition of the chamber, the amounts received by parliamentary groups have also changed. The same global amount – 3.5 million – has been distributed, but since there are two fewer groups than in 2023, each member of parliament is given 80 euros more per month (€1,480).
Thus, of the four groups, only the Compromís will receive less than in the last parliament, as they have two fewer MPs. In total, it will have an annual subsidy of 590,000 euros; this figure will increase to 636,000 euros in 2023.
The PP, on the other hand, will almost double the money it receives from the Cortes compared to the previous parliament, after increasing the number of its deputies from 19 to 40. For this reason, it increases from 696 thousand euros per year to 1.3 million euros last year. PSPV follows with around 1.1 million euros annually, with 936,000 euros in 2023, while Vox will have 528,000 euros in 2024, 130,000 euros more than last year.