Thursday, August 09, 2012

The Robber Barons of the EU

As mentioned here previously, Geert Wilders’ party, the Party for Freedom (Partij voor de Vrijheid, PVV), is campaigning for election in September on a platform to get the Netherlands out of the European Union. Needless to say, Mr. Wilders’ position has caused some consternation among the apparatchiks in Brussels.

Now the PVV has created a website (with versions in both English and Dutch) that allows citizens of the EU to register their displeasure with the lavish salaries, over-generous perks, and profligate spending habits of the mandarins who run Modern Multicultural Europe.

The follow press release was issued today by the PVV (Update: At the request of a reader, USD equivalents have been calculated for the figures shown in the press release):

PVV launches English-language website against excessive EU salaries

PVV logo

Following the success of its Dutch language website opposing the high salaries of European Union officials and civil servants, the Dutch Party for Freedom (PVV) has launched the English language website www.stopeuprofiteers.com

Visitors can click a button to express their opposition to the high wages and perks of the Brussels eurocrats. The PVV’s Dutch language website against the high EU salaries gathered more than 75,000 signatures in the first three days.

PVV leader Geert Wilders: “The success of our website shows that many people oppose the perverse profiteering in Brussels. we have decided to launch an English-language website as well because we are convinced that many non-Dutch Europeans share the indignation over the excessive salaries paid to the Brussels eurocrats. We hope that many people from all over Europe will visit the website and express their support.”

A European Commissioner earns a whopping €27,318 (£21,500, $33,590) per month. A resigned European Commissioner earns a retirement allowance of €8,200 (£6,454, $10,080)per month during three years. Without ever having had to pay one single pension premium, a retired European Commissioner gets a pension of €4,717 (£3,713, $5,800) per month. Newly-appointed young EU civil servants receive €4,676 (£3,680, $5,750) net per month. A Member of the European Parliament gets a total of €13,500 (£10,626, $16,600) per month.

The results of the website will be presented to Herman van Rompuy, President of the European Council, and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte before the European Summit of October 18, 2012.

Geert Wilders MP
Chairman PVV

The Dutch-language version: Protest tegen zakkenvullende eurocraten

5 comments:

Early Light said...

Excellent!

I have an idea about how much those figures equate to in USD, but it would be really nice if that data could be put into the post, for those of us who are a little less cosmopolitan. :)

Anonymous said...

It's important to remember that this is what we're up against - from this level at the top of the European political tree, right down to the local councils in the UK, there are people who have so much invested in the system, and who have no conscience or moral compass whatsoever, that they will do anything, absolutely anything, to crush anyone who stands up and points out what is going on.

That means all of us, btw.

Anonymous said...

A EU Commissioner retirement is half that of a rank and file police or sheriff in California. Probably on par with a teacher.

I know parole officers who make almost as much as member of the EU Parliment due to over pay.

IOW it won't shock anyone here in the U.S. who looks at public worker pensions at the state level.

Though in Europe I suspect their pay is much more of a issue.

And BTW don't expect van Rompuy to do anything. The guy is a utter mushroom and non-entity. Barely registers as life as we know it.

Anonymous said...

These are the same ones who cry out over multi-million paychecks of top industry managers. Guess they're quite a bit jealous with their measly twenty thousand.

Anonymous said...

A retired Brussels civil servant of german nationality admitted to me on a round of golf that he is and was ridiculoussly overpaid. At least he had the guts to speak out.