Incomes on the Internet
July 6, 2007
A day after Germany's highest court ruled that information about the extra money politicians earn from side jobs should be made public, the information was posted on the German parliament's Web site.
Politicians have been quick to criticize the move, saying the information is misleading and unfair.
Detailed information about who politicians work for and how much money they make went public after Germany's Federal Constitutional Court ruled Wednesday that the highly paid side jobs could compromise parliamentarians' independence. The public has a right to know if representatives earn money on the side, the court ruled.
Politicians have privacy concerns
Politicians have complained that jobs held before being elected are listed in the same way as those held while in office. They also feel it reveals proprietary business information to competitors.
Germany's highest court dismissed privacy concerns. In this case, the right to privacy was secondary to the public interest in transparency, the court ruled.
Transparency International endorsed the decision with the organization's German head calling for even more transparency.
"We are waiting for more openness from the parliamentarians and from everyone a more exact breakdown of the payments," Christian Humborg told the Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung.
Corruption concerns fueled legislation
The issue started with the previous Social Democrat-Green government in 2005 in response to a scandal about parliamentarians who were on the payrolls of German corporations. Many didn't seem to do much to earn the extra incomes.
The revelations of these plum side jobs cost some politicians their jobs. It also raised concerns in the country about possible corruption and a conflict of interest if politicians were closely connected to big companies. Some also questioned why politicians, who are paid well in Germany, needed to take up another job.
German parliamentarians get a monthly salary of approximately 7,000 euros ($9,500.) The ruling requires all extra monthly income over 1,000 euros (1,360 dollars) to be declared. Politicians must indicate approximately how much they earn by choosing between three different categories.
The parliament passed a bill in 2005 requiring the information on income earned from side jobs to be made public. Nine politicians from several political parties brought a court case to stop the law, saying that it violated their privacy. Of the politicians that brought the court case, one is a businessman, one owns an insurance company and seven are lawyers.
A quarter of the members of parliament are attorneys. They are concerned that the law interferes with client confidentiality. Bernhard Dombek, president of the German Federal Bar Association, was critical of the law. Although it doesn't require that attorneys list the names of their clients, it will be easier to figure out who they are, Dombek told the Tagesspiegel daily. He predicted people will be less interested in serving as politicians.
Some changes possible
Olaf Scholz of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) said Friday that a careful examination will take place of the reasons the judges gave for the decision, and any practical problems will be dealt with. The SPD will suggest any "practicable changes for the future," Scholz told the dpa news agency.
Christian Lange, who introduced the original measure for the SPD, said parliamentarians needed to have more "respect and humility" for the decision made by the court. Politicians should obey the law instead of questioning it, Lange said.