MEP Marc Botenga stated that many European MPs have other additional jobs, often with large corporations or financial institutions. He also mentioned that a few €13,000 they cash in monthly is not enough for them.
MEP Botenga remarked that the Former Belgian Prime Minister, Guy Verhofstadt, currently an MEP, would earn up to 300,000 euros annually or approximately 26,000 euros monthly.
In addition to his staggering salary as an MEP, he is a manager at the Sofina investment company.
Among the 705 European MPs, Guy Verhofstadt has been identified as the MP who accumulates the most secondary jobs.
Furthermore, MEP Botenga expressed that politicians need to think of the public interest, not the private interest, and certainly not themselves.
He further provided brief information related to what they have done to aware the general people of Belgium and the people across Europe.
He stated, In December 2022, During the QatarGate scandal, he, as a PTB MP, denounced the issue of additional jobs. MEP Botenga further extended thanks to public pressure that they managed to approve his problematic amendment by a majority of MPs.
In February, they pushed for the logical next step: if these additional jobs create a conflict of interest. They must be banned. With his colleagues on The Left, they have introduced two amendments to ban them.
He addressed his victory as the European Parliament voted on two resolutions, including the PTB’s request.
As per the new steps taken by MEP Marc Botngya, The Social Democrats and the Greens co-signed the amendment to the ban this time. The European Parliament has reaffirmed the request to end it.
The struggle will continue due to beautiful resolutions to reality, which are not accomplished yet, but it is clear that they are moving the lines, even in the European Parliament.
