Hungary Moves to Reduce Political Spending

Hungary's parliament on Monday approved a broad package of measures aimed at reducing the cost of running the National Assembly. The proposal was backed by 189 lawmakers and received support from parties beyond the governing coalition.

The legislation was introduced by Andrea Bujdoso and Kinga Kalazdi-Kerekes, members of the opposition Tisza party.

The main measure is a reduction in lawmakers' basic salaries. Under the new rules, MPs will receive 1.8 times the average gross wage in the national economy, resulting in a 40% cut to their base pay.

Committee allowances will also be adjusted, with the total income of MPs expected to decline by between 10% and 35% during the new parliamentary term.

The package also includes significant cuts to other parliamentary expenses. Reimbursements for accommodation in apartments or hotels will be reduced by 31%, office rental budgets by 52% and funding for assistants and other staff by 30%.

Parliament also abolished mobile phone allowances and tightened rules governing the use of fuel cards. In addition, unused funds will now have to be returned to the state budget, ending the current practice of reallocating them to political parties.

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