Hungary’s lawmakers have approved a substantial reduction in their own pay, voting unanimously to cut parliamentary salaries by 40 percent as part of an effort to ease pressure on state finances and signal greater political accountability amid a difficult budget environment.
The measure was backed by all 189 deputies present during the vote and follows calls from Prime Minister Peter Magyar for elected officials to demonstrate restraint and responsibility. Shortly after his election victory in April, Magyar defended the proposal by arguing that “it is a matter of humility.”
Beginning next month, the basic gross salary of a Hungarian member of parliament will fall to approximately 3,690 euros, placing it below the level currently received by lawmakers in Bulgaria. According to the governing conservative majority, the savings generated by the reduction will be sufficient to cover the operating costs of the legislature for an entire year.
Hungary’s National Assembly consists of 199 deputies, 41 fewer than Bulgaria’s parliament, despite the country having a population nearly one-third larger. Alongside the salary cuts, lawmakers also agreed to eliminate reimbursement for mobile phone expenses and reduce allowances covering office costs, housing, and parliamentary staff.
