'High-performing' PM and ministers increase their salaries through a simple decree

The Fico government has approved that the flat-rate expenses (paušálne náhrady in Slovak) of its members, which they receive in addition to their salary, will significantly increase.

PM Robert Fico of the Smer party announced his intention last weekend.

“I’m ready to deal with the unacceptable situation when I demand high performances, serious decisions and frequent visits to the regions from the members of the government, and on the other hand I have to respect the situation when an MP earns more than the prime minister.”

A member of the government, including the prime minister, earns 1.5 times the salary of an MP. The MP, who earns 3 times the average monthly salary for the previous year (€1,304 in 2022), earned €3,912 in 2023.

Government members should thus have been earning €5,868 a month. However, they are earning €4,590 a month following the mandatory freeze of their salaries in 2021 due to the public debt exceeding 60 percent of GDP.

Moreover, the prime minister earns less than MPs who come from outside of Bratislava due to how flat-rate expenses have been set. For example, a non-Bratislava MP could have claimed flat-rate expenses of up to €2,739 a month in 2023 (2.1 times the average monthly Slovak salary in 2022). The prime minister could have claimed €1,191, which has been a fixed sum until recently.