European personnel budgets increased despite objections from N-VA party

During the annual vote on the EU accounting, the European Parliament decided to increase the personnel budget for its members, thus ignoring objections by, among others, the N-VA delegation. “In doing so, the EU is sending the wrong signal in these times of severe cut-backs,” argues N-VA Member of the European Parliament Sander Loones. Therefore, he voted against it just as his colleagues from the European Conservatives and Reformists party ( ECR The N-VA is a member of the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR), a conservative, eurorealistic parliamentary group in the European Parliament. The N-VA shares their realistic view of the European project and also advocates for the correct and intensive application of the subsidiarity principle. For example, we must not be afraid to ask ourselves if it would be better to leave certain European initiatives to the Member States. The N-VA also identifies with the emphases that the ECR places on the social-economic issues. Since the 2014 elections, the ECR has become the third largest parliamentary group in the European Parliament. ECR ).

This change will not increase the wages of the Members of the European Parliament themselves. They will however receive approximately 1,500 euros extra per month to pay their staff. The N-VA delegation rejects the proposition on principle: “We all want Europe to gain more support from its citizens. This cannot be attained by increasing the European budget time and time again in an unrealistic fashion. The personnel budget had already been increased in 2010 and again in 2011.”

Authorities must lead by example
Loones also refers to the realisations by the Flemish and the federal government in which N-VA, being the largest party, helps determine the framework: “We do manage to cut back on the government’s personnel budget there. For example, the Flemish government cut personnel for former ministers. The federal cabinets make do with 5.2 million euros less than the Di Rupo Administration. Why shouldn’t this be possible in Europe?”