How much should politicians earn?

BarcelonaLet me start with a personal anecdote. A close political figure, from the leftist world and without any institutional ties, explains to me that one of his main challenges is convincing certain people, often fellow students, that work stemming from collective issues should be remunerated. In the world of activism and political involvement, the line between volunteerism and monetary return is difficult to draw, a dilemma that now, as it was in the past, generates tensions within organizations. It is true that the expected return from involvement in collective actions is not necessarily financial. Political involvement usually advances thanks to the desire to achieve a higher ideal, to have a more or less tangible return (such as a position or recognition) in the near or distant future, or from the expression of personal satisfaction at being surrounded by people with similar goals. However, it is also common to see how the absence of financial compensation hinders collective action and is a source of significant frustration.

This debate is often pointed among some left-wing actors, who identify the collection of fees by institutions as an extractive mechanism that corrupts and goes against the collective good. For example, Barcelona en Comú established in its code of ethics that a you are A maximum of €2,200 net per month, including per diem, was later questioned and revised (and not always adhered to). The CUP's code of ethics stipulates that elected officials earn between €2,200 and €2,600 gross per month. In Girona, Mayor Lluc Salellas earns around €60,000 per year after reducing it by €14,000 compared to his previous term, making his salary the lowest among major Catalan cities. However, these measures are often marketed as a way for political representatives to earn a similar amount to the people they seek to represent.

In Catalonia, as in the rest of the State, the remuneration of elected officials, including mayors, is limited by law and depends primarily on the dedication (exclusive, partial, or without formal dedication) and the size of the municipality. For example, in municipalities with between 1,000 and 5,000 inhabitants, the majority in our country, the mayor could earn around 46,500 euros. In order to dignify the work of many elected officials, the Generalitat also has extraordinary calls to supplement their salary.

If we take a look at the data, the most common salary for mayors in Catalonia is 17,000 euros per year, far from the most common salary among the population, which is 24,772.36 euros gross. Only in large cities are salaries significantly higher.

What is the optimal salary?

But what is the optimal salary for a politician? The 2024 sociopolitical survey by the Center for Opinion Studies asked the question, and it did so in a way that allows us to see how the characteristics of mayors affect the perception of the salary they deserve (in the eyes of the public). According to those surveyed, a female mayor should earn around €2,750 net per month and a male mayor, €2,500. The salary considered adequate for female mayors is almost always slightly higher than what is desired for male mayors. However, in both cases, the salary perceived as adequate is higher than the salary most mayors currently earn. It is also higher than the salary that citizens consider civil servants deserve (around €2,000 net per month).

Analyzed by ideological differences, people on the right, including the far right, want to pay mayors more than those on the left. Regarding the preferred party, the trend is similar. Particularly noteworthy is the case of supporters of the Catalan Alliance, who want a significantly higher salary for mayors than for men, probably due to the influence of their leader, Sílvia Orriols. Finally, citizens believe that mayors with more education should be paid more than those with a secondary education: specifically, about €500 net each month.

The curious chart of the week

What would Master Yoda vote for?

Have you ever wondered what your favorite fantasy characters would vote for? And the villains in the blockbuster movies? This is precisely what researchers Stuart J. Turnbull-Dugarte and Markus Wagner have studied in a recent academic article. It appears that, for example, Arya Stark and Yoda are rated as more partisan characters in the Democratic Party (USA) or the Labour Party (UK), while Draco Malfoy or King Pin would opt, in the eyes of those surveyed, for conservative options. But the crux of the matter seems to be something else: when people rate the villains in the movies, they always consider them to be from the rival party, whatever that may be. In contrast, the bonds for the series are from the our party. It seems, therefore, that our ideological glasses could also enter—indirectly, of course—the movie theaters.