The deputy does not create any social rights during his mandate, that is to say that he does not create any rights concerning unemployment or pensions. There is therefore no deduction of 13.07% of social contributions or special contributions as with the Belgian worker. On the other hand, a contribution of 8.5% is deducted from this allowance to supply the parliamentary pension fund.
After deduction of this pension contribution, fixed professional expenses and application of the 2023 tax scales, the net monthly salary of a Walloon parliamentarian can be estimated at approximately €5,230, excluding costs, which amount to €2,496. His net monthly income is therefore €7,726 net.
For the special functions of the Walloon Parliament, Jean Faniel’s 2009 study tells us that they do not pay a pension contribution of 8.5% on the additional income linked to this function, but only on the basic allowance for a deputy.
The calculation for the President of the Walloon Parliament then gives a net remuneration of approximately 8200 euros to which must be added the costs of 4160 non-taxed, ie a total net income of 12,360€.
For a member of the office, the net remuneration is approximately €5,650 to which must be added €2,736 in expenses, i.e. a net income of approximately €8,386.
These amounts are indexed if the pivot index is exceeded.
Jean Faniel specifies on the one hand that these amounts are much higher than the minimum wage (1772€ net in January 2023 for a single person), than the poverty line (regarding 1500€ net) or than the social integration income ( 1214€), but that they are below the income of other categories of people. “Thus, on average, the managers of the largest Belgian private companies earned, in 2007, more than 60,000 euros net monthly, not taking into account certain bonuses. That’s nearly six times the prime minister’s income.”he specifies with amounts not indexed and not updated by us.
Finally, the director of Crisp indicated at the time that “the political representatives do not have at their discretion all of their remuneration. They donate part of it to their political formation, in proportions varying from one party to another. They must also incur certain expenses related to their function: subscriptions and donations to various associations, entertainment expenses (clothing and outfits appropriate to their status, invitations to restaurants, etc.) or even campaign and propaganda expenses. If it may seem comfortable in some respects, we cannot therefore consider that all of the remuneration of their political mandate feeds their private cassette and allows them to amass excessive savings or a personal fortune.“
Still, the new President of the Walloon Parliament, André Frédéric called for a “wage moderation among parliamentarians“.