But we are in Wallonia, where 10 Committed parliamentarians are now tightening their belts a notch (they could not in any case exceed one and a half times the salary of a federal or Walloon deputy), but the waistline remains very wide.
Among the ten, three are in the province of Namur: Maxime Prévot, Benoît Dispa (Gembloux) and Christophe Bastin (Onhaye). The party, led by the first city, leaves them the choice of donating their local salary “either to the CPAS of their municipality, or directly to local or national associations of their choice, or to the national movement which will then donate it to social, environmental or philanthropic associations”.
So much less allocation to the CPAS
The Onhaytois Bastin chose the CPAS in his municipality. But after deduction of taxes and levies on his mayoral emoluments. He receives 2,400 euros net as mayor, but in the end, it is around 1,000 euros per month that he will donate to the public social action center. His calculation: “Over one legislature, that’s 12,000 euros multiplied by 6, or 72,000 euros for the CPAS”. Precision: “This means that the municipal allocation to the CPAS could decrease accordingly.”
Quite a game of communicating vessels: the mayor’s salary is paid by the Municipality, he will pay it back, excluding deductions, to the CPAS, every month, from the end of this month of January. The path of public money is rather original.
Great diaries
There remains the problem of availability for each mandate. The Engagés plead that a strong link with local realities is important, but now within a certain salary wisdom. The question remains, however: doesn’t a mandate deserve to be devoted 100% to it? ? Christophe Bastin replies that he has no problem organizing his time, for quite a while. He masters: “I have been a parliamentarian since 2010, and for 30 years in the municipal college”. He divides his time between Onhaye, the Walloon parliament and the parliament of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation (one day, every other week). At the FWB, it’s Wednesday: “I’m going to the Commune then I’m going to Brussels.” And everything works well like that, assures the politician. Whereas in Onhaye, he has no office, not even a secretary.
Quite the opposite of the mayor of Namur, who has collaborators. Fortunately because he is a federal deputy (therefore in Brussels), party president, and for the moment negotiator of a federal government. One-man band, which is also the mayor of Gembloux Benoît Dispa, Walloon deputy, but also at the perch of the parliament of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation. Super-cumulative.
To make an impression, the Engagés titled their recent press release in slogan mode: “Our mayoral deputies will exercise their mayoral function free of charge from January 1st”. Considering the overall income they still receive (and the pension they will have), it is perhaps a bit excessive to talk about volunteering. But it’s a nice PR stunt.
