German politician Heidi Reichinnek, the chair of the Left faction, has announced her intention to increase her parliamentary allowances and donate the extra funds to various causes.
In an interview with the “Berlin Playbook Podcast” of the news magazine POLITICO, Reichinnek expressed her conviction that while parliamentary representatives need to be well-financed to maintain their independence, the current situation is disconnected from the realities of ordinary people.
The German Bundestag is set to vote on a proposed increase in parliamentary allowances on Thursday, with Reichinnek expecting to receive an additional 12,000 euros per month. She plans to allocate the increased funds as follows: 1,700 euros for national causes, 700 euros for regional initiatives, 300 euros for her local party, 200 euros for the Left Youth and 300 euros for her faction’s association, in addition to contributions to her trade union, ProVeg and the German Federation for the Environment and Nature Conservation (ADFC).