Ten of the European Parliament’s most senior officials are laughing all the way to the bank at the news of bumper pay raises worth €32,400 per year.
The officials, including Secretary-General Alessandro Chiochetti, will see their paychecks swell from a minimum base salary of €20,536.29 per month to €23,235.49 before tax, according to staff regulations.
The bump could see them receive some €278,825.88 annually, which is not subject to Belgian national income tax but rather to the EU’s own internal income tax system, ranging from 8 percent to 45 percent, as well as contributions and pensions. In addition to their salaries the officials may also receive home allowances and other benefits.
Martin Schirdewan, co-chair of The Left political group, balked at the pay increases, telling POLITICO: “While people all across the EU suffer from the effects of the weather and our elders are fighting for survival, the Parliament seems to be serving itself.”
“No one can explain that anymore, and it leaves me speechless,” he said.
The salary increases could cost the European Parliament’s human resources department up to €324,000 a year.
The hikes come following a raft of May promotions from AD15 to AD16, the highest grade in the EU civil servant hierarchy. When asked by POLITICO, a spokesperson for the Parliament said all recipients of the pay raise have at least three years of seniority in their previous pay brackets, while the minimum requirement for a promotion is two years.
Seven out of 16 directors-general, who lead the administration’s departments, along with Chiochetti have been promoted as of June 1, according to the minutes of a May meeting of the Parliament’s vice-presidents.
The directors-general who got pay raises are: Christian Mangold, in charge of communications; Ellen Robson, in charge of human resources; Juan Carlos Jiménez Marín, in charge of interpretation logistics; Lorenzo Mannelli, in charge of IT and cybersecurity; Guy Mols, in charge of security and safety; Monika Strasser, in charge of budgetary policy; and Michael Speiser, in charge of economic and industrial policies.
As of Nov. 1, 2025, Anders Rasmussen, deputy secretary general in charge of legislative coordination and the research services, will be promoted to AD16, as will Sannaleena Lepola-Honig, director-general in charge of parliamentary partnerships.
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