Political leaders propose salary reforms and waivers in Austria and Germany

In Austria, Niko Swatek, the Styrian state spokesperson for the NEOS party, has proposed a new salary model for politicians at both federal and state levels. The proposal suggests that only 75 percent of a politician's salary should be fixed, with the remaining 25 percent tied to economic performance indicators. Under this model, if a government fails to meet specific budget targets or incurs new debt without following a defined consolidation path, the variable portion of their salary would be withheld. Swatek cited Singapore as a model for such accountability.

In Germany, the cabinet of Saarland has decided to forgo a planned salary increase for its ministers. While civil servants in the state are set to receive a retroactive pay increase of approximately four percent starting from 2023—following a Federal Constitutional Court ruling—the ministers have opted out of this adjustment. This decision, proposed by Minister President Anke Rehlinger, means ministers will waive roughly 30,000 euros in back payments and approximately 7,000 euros in annual salary increases.