If the government falls, many MPs risk losing their pensions
If the government falls
Mario Draghi's government is facing the test of the vote of confidence in the Senate, after the crisis in the majority started by the 5 Star Movement. Everyone is wondering if it will lead to the fall of the government, and Il Sole 24 Ore has highlighted a crucial element: the deadline by which the parliamentarians will accrue their retirement, which will start on September 24th.To reach the pension, each parliamentarian has to wait four years, six months and one day from his election. During this period, deputies and senators pay around € 50,000 in contributions, which in the event of early voting would be lost. Given the high number of newcomers in Parliament, the new rules for the composition of the Parliament and the risk for many of the current MPs not to be re-elected, a fall in the government could blow annuities.
How does the pension of senators and deputies How many deputies and senators are at risk of losing their pension in the event of an early vote? How the pension of senators and deputies works Since 2012, the so-called annuity that was due to parliamentarians at the end of their mandate has been replaced with a pension measure similar to that provided for other male and female workers. However, it is just a simile. In fact, to access the pension you need to remain in office for at least four years, six months and a day. Therefore, those who were elected for the first time in the 18th legislature, that is in 2018, and do not mature this period of "professional seniority", risk losing their right to a parliamentary pension and the contributions paid.
How many deputies and senators are in danger of losing their pension in the event of an early vote? In the 18th legislature, 68% of the deputies and 73% of the senators were newly elected, that is, elected for the first time to their office. There are 427 new deputies and deputies in the Chamber and 234 senators and senators. In the Chamber, the parliamentary group with the highest number of newly elected is the League, 123 out of a total of 133, ie 92% of the total. In second place with 22 out of 24 newly elected are Coraggio Italia, a center-right party led by the mayor of Venice Luigi Brugnaro, and Forza Italia, with 33 out of 37 newly elected. low percentage of newly elected, respectively 44% and 42%, the only parties with a percentage of less than 50%
In the Senate, on the other hand, the first place always goes to the Lega on an equal footing with Forza Italia, respectively with 95 % and 89% of newly elected senators and senators. While the parliamentary groups at the bottom of the list are the Mixed group and the one for Autonomies.
Therefore, the impact of the economic incentive on today's vote of confidence, July 14, 2022, should not be underestimated in the strength of the government. This reasoning is also reinforced by the reduction in the number of parliamentarians that will occur from the next legislature, which will bring the number of representatives from 945 to 600 and a lesser probability for the newly elected to confirm their office.
Sri Lankan Government Falls: Rajapaksa, Wickremesinghe to Resign
Sri Lanka’s political opposition met on Sunday for talks intended to establish a new government following the pending resignations of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe—a step that the two leaders agreed to take after tens of thousands of angry protesters stormed their official residences over the weekend.
Protesters have remained in the two officials’ homes and offices since Saturday, claiming they would stay in place until the two resignations were made official. Rajapaksa’s current whereabouts are unknown, although a local news channel claimed that a Sri Lankan Navy ship evacuated him. Despite his pending resignation, the president appeared to remain at work from temporary exile, with a statement posted on his website declaring that he had ordered additional cooking gas to be distributed to the public.
Although Sri Lankan police and security forces initially tried to defend the residences from protesters with barricades and tear gas, they have not attempted to force them out since the occupation began, instead supervising activity within the residences and attempting to put out fires set by angry demonstrators. Local sources suggest that Rajapaksa’s former home has become an unusual tourist attraction, with residents of the capital city exploring the president’s palatial estate and using the facilities provided, including his pool and private library.
Because of the extraconstitutional nature of the protests, it remains unclear who will succeed Rajapaksa, who has not formally resigned yet. Ranjith Madduma Bandara, the former minister of law and order and secretary of the United People’s Force party, or SJB, claimed that the party had opened discussions with former members of Rajapaksa’s ruling coalition who had defected during the protests. Although Bandara and other opposition leaders claimed that the anti-Rajapaksa opposition could easily garner a majority in parliament, it remains to be seen whether they can establish an alternative government and in what timeframe they would do so.
Following the storming of his residence, Wickremesinghe announced that he was willing to leave office after a new government had been formed—a process that could take months. Speaker of Parliament Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena announced on the same day that Rajapaksa had agreed to step down on Wednesday. If both officials resign, Abeywardena will take over as interim president until new elections are held, according to the constitution.
Anger has built at Sri Lankan leaders since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, which devastated the country’s tourism-driven economy and revealed significant financial shortcomings made worse by massive pre-pandemic tax cuts. The country’s foreign reserves have dropped to less than $2 billion, impacting its ability to pay for food, medicine, and oil imports.
After months of growing anti-government protests, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, the president’s younger brother, resigned and was replaced with Wickremesinghe in May. During his tenure, the new prime minister has overseen marginal improvements to the country’s financial stability, enabling international fertilizer and cooking gas deliveries over the weekend.
Trevor Filseth is a current and foreign affairs writer for the National Interest.
Image: Reuters.
