Senate passes pay cut for legislators, state officials

The Senate has passed a bill which will lower pay for legislators, judges and state attorneys by five percent. The proposal received backing from most senators present, including the Social Democrats, who originally opposed it. Last week the party signalled the intention to block the amendment in the Senate, necessitating a second vote in the lower house. But they backed away from the plan on Thursday since a failure to pass new legislation by January would have seen a previously approved pay rise for lawmakers come into effect. Originally, the Social Democrats were opposed to state attorneys being included in the amendment.

Author: Jan Velinger