Over 1.9 million euros of the state budget this year were spent on salaries for members of the Assembly and their assistants. Most of the sessions held this year lasted for a few minutes.
No work was done and no new institutions were formed. Although salaries were received, the country is estimated to be in danger of entering a financial blockade. For this, the same representatives of the people who are unable to find consensus are to blame.
For 7 months, the deputies of the Assembly of Kosovo, together with their assistants, received over 1.9 million euros from the state budget. But there were no results from their work.
The basic salary of a deputy is 1,914 euros, not including work experience allowances.
The Kosovo Assembly told RTK that from April, when the constitutive session was called, until October, over 1 million 300 thousand euros were allocated for the salaries of legislators.
While over 571 thousand euros have been allocated for the salaries of political support staff.
The ninth legislature of the Assembly of Kosovo has faced an institutional blockade. The Assembly has not been constituted for months, while attempts to elect a speaker have failed several times. The Assembly is now constituted, the deputies and their assistants receive salaries, but the work is not being done.
Although the salary of an MP continues to be among the highest in the public sector, the people's elected representatives have failed to form new institutions, for which citizens are bearing the consequences.
"The consequences are both domestic and international. There are two main pillars that are jeopardizing the country's macro-financial stability. First, there is a risk that in this state of affairs in the Assembly, the fact that we do not have a legitimate government, the first consequence will be the non-approval of the country's budget. I do not even dare to imagine what consequences it will have for the citizens. Kosovo is the only country in the region, along with Bosnia, that has not managed to access EU funds in terms of the economic growth plan," said Afrim Kasolli, a political expert.
According to Kasolli, due to the irresponsible behavior of MPs, the country risks entering financial collapse.
"This is irresponsible behavior based on the obligations they have undertaken since they have a mandate to address the concerns of the citizens of Kosovo. If they fail to find a political solution, if we enter the next year without budget approval, the country will go into financial collapse and the consequences are frightening to even foresee," Kasolli added./RTK
