[RANT] Both have a gross salary of €4,500 and 12 years of service. When they become unemployed, the citizen gets €10,600, and the member of parliament €43,200. Does that seem normal to you?

Hello,

I did some math on how our unemployment benefit system actually works after these "new ones" rules (ZUTD-I, which started in full this year, 2026), compared to what our dear politicians get under the Act on Members of Parliament (ZPos). And the result is downright nauseating. 🤮 Let’s put a simple scenario: We have an engineer (or anyone with a good salary) and an MP. Both receive a gross salary of exactly EUR 4,500 up to the euro and both have worked for exactly 12 years (which is 3 mandates for a member of parliament). But then they both land on the road. What happens?

👷‍♂️ ORDINARY DEATH (ZUTD-I): He is entitled to 6 months of benefits. Hit him by his wife "drip" (limitation to 130% of the minimum wage for the first 3 months, then drop to 110%). The total amount he receives for living during this time: EUR 10,669 gross.

👔 REPUBLICAN (ZPos): He is entitled to a full 12 months of benefits (if he is about to retire, even up to 18 months!). NO CAP APPLIES TO IT. He easily receives a fixed 80% of his salary throughout the year (EUR 3,600 per month). The total amount he pays himself from our taxpayers’ money: €43,200 gross.

THE DIFFERENCE? For the SAME time of work and with the SAME basic salary, the Member of Parliament withdraws EUR 32,531 MORE from the state than you, but it takes twice as long!

When we lose our jobs, we are told that the compensation must be low (that’s why we have caps) so that we "encourages a quick search for a new job". But when a politician loses his job (mandate), he urgently needs a one-year VIP parachute. The most tragic thing is that when it comes to these privileges, the government and the opposition are always silent in unison.