Mieli pilnować polskich interesów i przygotowywać dobre dla Polski unijne przepisy, w czasie 5 lat w Parlamencie Europejskim polscy eurodeputowani odkryli jednak również bardziej atrakcyjne zajęcia. Za pieniądze unijnych podatników organizowali bankiety, wozili się po świecie i promowali w swoich okręgach. Niezależnie od tego, czy w Brukseli zajmowali się tworzeniem unjjnego prawa, czy dekorowaniem ścian Europarlamentu wszyscy zarabiali prawie 50.000 złotych miesięcznie.
W organizacji wystaw i bankietów wyspecjalizowało się kilku polskich europosłów. Choć w tej kadencji każdy eurodeputowany mógł zorganizować 2 wystawy to Ryszard Czarnecki i Tomasz Poręba z PiS zorganizowali ich po 7 każdy. "Często można coś dobrze sprzedać, trafić do odbiorcy, niekoniecznie ważnym wystąpieniem politycznym tylko przez język sztuki", tłumaczy Czarnecki. I choć za promocję polskiej sztuki w Europie, europosła pewnie nie powinno się krytykować, to należy zauważyć, że Czarnecki w Europarlamencie zorganizował m.in. wystawę znaczków pocztowych a jeden z bankietów poświęcił prezentacji dzieł japońskiego artysty.
Parlamentarna rozrywka zdaniem wielu eurodeputowanych nie jest jednak najgorszym przewinieniem. Europoseł Polski Razem, Paweł Kowal przyznaje: "można nawet w tym nie uczestniczyć. Są tacy, którzy po prostu wpadają, pobędą tu chwilę, podpiszą się, zagłosują i wyjeżdżają". Puste krzesło na sali może oznaczać też, że eurodeputowany jest w zagranicznej podróży służbowej. Tak swoje często nieobecności w tej kadencji tłumaczy Michał Kamiński. "To jest prawda, że Parlament Europejski bardzo często wybierał mnie do delegacji międzynarodowych". A Kamiński choć mógł odmówić i zostać w Brukseli by pilnować ważnych dla Polski spraw, wolał to robić podczas opłacanych przez Unię służbowych delegacji.
Polscy europosłowie, podróży sponsorowanej z unijnego budżetu nie odmawiali zresztą również swoim wyborcom. Choć każdy eurodeputowany może zaprosić do Brukseli 110 osób rocznie, to Czesław Siekierski z PSL unijne wycieczki fundował zdecydowanie większej liczbie ludzi ze swojego regionu. "Ja to robię bardziej oszczędnie, to przyjmuje dwa a nawet trzy razy tyle", tłumaczy Siekierski.
Oszczędzać wszyscy europosłowie mieli z czego, bo każdy z nich obecny, czy nie, zaangażowany w unijną politykę, czy organizacje bankietów, zarabia ponad 7,5 tysiąca euro, czyli ponad 31 tysięcy złotych brutto miesięcznie. Razem z dziennymi dietami, w wysokości 300 euro i 4000 euro na prowadzenie biura mógł uzbierać miesięcznie ponad 50.000 złotych. "Ja właściwie mam już z czego żyć do końca życia" chwali się Marek Migalski z Polski Razem, który za parlamentarne wynagrodzenia kupił 3 mieszkania. Na łamach prasy oficjalnie krytykuje jednak zbyt wysokie zarobki w Brukseli. "Jeśli słyszę wypowiedzi moich kolegów, zwłaszcza Pana Migalskiego, który mówi, że są bezsensownie wysokie zarobki i mówi to także w imieniu Portugalczyków, Niemców, Hiszpanów, których o zdanie nie pytał, to ja mu odpowiadam, oddaj chłopie polowe tej pensji na cele charytatywne i nie marudź" mówi poirytowany hipokryzją Migalskiego, Tadeusz Zwiefka z PO. Migalski słów Zwiefki nie pozostawia bez odpowiedzi: "Jeśli Pan Zwiefka uważa, że zarabianie przez niego 50.000 złotych miesięcznie jest ekwiwalentne do tego co robi w Parlamencie Europejskim to ja uważam, że to nie jest ekwiwalentne, bo on zarabia trzy razy tyle co Prezydent Rzeczpospolitej".
To, co za nawet 50.000 złotych miesięcznie europoseł robił albo czego nie robił w Brukseli już wkrótce ocenią wyborcy. A przy tej ocenie warto chyba wziąć pod uwagę takie jego zajęcia w Brukseli, na których skorzystała Polska, a nie tylko sam europoseł i grupa jego znajomych.
MEPs who like to party and travel...
Although elected to represent and defend national interests in Brussels, some Polish MEPs have found much more attractive activities during the last 5 years in the European Parliament. Banquets, foreign trips and auto-promotion paid from EU tax payers money became their favourite things to do whilst in Brussels or in Strasbourg. Despite the EP's rule which says that every MEP can organize maximum 2 exhibitions per term for example, Polish MEPs such as Ryszard Czarnecki and Tomasz Poręba managed to organize 7 of them each. "It's a good way of selling something or attracting somebody's attention, not only through important political statements but also using art", explains Czarnecki. And although promotion of Polish art in Europe by Polish MEP could indeed be a good thing, one has to know that Mr Czarnecki organised exhibitions of stamps or pictures made by a Japanese artist.
Parliamentarian entertainment however, according to many MEPs is not the worst abuse in Brussels. Polish MEP, Paweł Kowal admits "There are some MEPs who don't participate even in these kind of events, as they come here for a very short moment, sign the list, vote and go away". Empty chairs though may also mean that MEP is away on foreign delegation. This is an explanation given by Polish MEP Michał Kamiński, often absent in Brussels during the last term "It is true that European Parliament was often choosing me for foreign trips". And Kamiński never declined invitations. As much more than staying and defending Polish interests in Brussels, he preferred to travel around the world.
Polish MEPs could also not say no to travel opportunities for their electors. Despite the EP's rule which says that every MEP can invite up to 110 people per year, Polish MEP Czesław Siekierski proudly admits that he managed to sponsor with EU money travel and hotels in Brussels and in Strasbourg much more inhabitants of his region. "I just did it in a more economy way and it's true that I double or even triple the number of my invites".
But although Polish MEPs didn't care to spend EU's tax payers money on parties and trips, whilst working in Brussels they learnt very well how to save their own money. And as a result of it, many of them have become millionaires in Poland (in Polish currency). To save a fortune for Polish MEP during the last 5 years was in fact not to difficult as every MEP, doesn't matter which country he is from, gets 7,600 euro salary per month, plus 300 euro for his daily expenses while in Brussels or Strasbourg and 4000 euro for his bureau. In case of a Polish MEP it means that he can monthly earn up to 50.000 zlotys, much more than Polish President or Prime Minister of Poland. Thanks to his salaries in Bruxelles Polish MEP Marek Migalski for example bought three flats in Poland. "In fact I have now enough (investment) to leave from till the end of my life" he admits. But in his electoral campaign now ironically Migalski has become the first one to criticize unnecessarily high MEPs salaries. "When I hear such comments, which Mr Migalski makes for all of the MEPs including the ones from Germany, Portugal or Spain, I just want to reply to him: stop to complain and if you have too much, give it to charity", says irritated with Migalski, another Polish MEP Tadeusz Zwiefka. Migalski eagerly continues the polemic: "If Mr Zwiefka thinks that 50.000 zlotys per month is equivalent for the job he does in the European Parliament, than I don't agree with that, because it means he earns three times more than the President of Poland". What a MEP does, or doesn't do for some 50.000 zlotys per month in Brussels will soon be assessed by all of us, during European elections in May. Maybe during this assessment it is worth to take into account what a MEP has indeed done for Poland, rather than for himself and a group of his friends.
Parliamentarian entertainment however, according to many MEPs is not the worst abuse in Brussels. Polish MEP, Paweł Kowal admits "There are some MEPs who don't participate even in these kind of events, as they come here for a very short moment, sign the list, vote and go away". Empty chairs though may also mean that MEP is away on foreign delegation. This is an explanation given by Polish MEP Michał Kamiński, often absent in Brussels during the last term "It is true that European Parliament was often choosing me for foreign trips". And Kamiński never declined invitations. As much more than staying and defending Polish interests in Brussels, he preferred to travel around the world.
Polish MEPs could also not say no to travel opportunities for their electors. Despite the EP's rule which says that every MEP can invite up to 110 people per year, Polish MEP Czesław Siekierski proudly admits that he managed to sponsor with EU money travel and hotels in Brussels and in Strasbourg much more inhabitants of his region. "I just did it in a more economy way and it's true that I double or even triple the number of my invites".
But although Polish MEPs didn't care to spend EU's tax payers money on parties and trips, whilst working in Brussels they learnt very well how to save their own money. And as a result of it, many of them have become millionaires in Poland (in Polish currency). To save a fortune for Polish MEP during the last 5 years was in fact not to difficult as every MEP, doesn't matter which country he is from, gets 7,600 euro salary per month, plus 300 euro for his daily expenses while in Brussels or Strasbourg and 4000 euro for his bureau. In case of a Polish MEP it means that he can monthly earn up to 50.000 zlotys, much more than Polish President or Prime Minister of Poland. Thanks to his salaries in Bruxelles Polish MEP Marek Migalski for example bought three flats in Poland. "In fact I have now enough (investment) to leave from till the end of my life" he admits. But in his electoral campaign now ironically Migalski has become the first one to criticize unnecessarily high MEPs salaries. "When I hear such comments, which Mr Migalski makes for all of the MEPs including the ones from Germany, Portugal or Spain, I just want to reply to him: stop to complain and if you have too much, give it to charity", says irritated with Migalski, another Polish MEP Tadeusz Zwiefka. Migalski eagerly continues the polemic: "If Mr Zwiefka thinks that 50.000 zlotys per month is equivalent for the job he does in the European Parliament, than I don't agree with that, because it means he earns three times more than the President of Poland". What a MEP does, or doesn't do for some 50.000 zlotys per month in Brussels will soon be assessed by all of us, during European elections in May. Maybe during this assessment it is worth to take into account what a MEP has indeed done for Poland, rather than for himself and a group of his friends.
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