In the aftermath of the recent elections, both the House and the Flemish Parliament must pay millions in compensation to former members who were not re-elected. The total amount owed is estimated to be up to 20 million euros, with even higher payouts in 2019, reaching almost 22 million euros.
According to De Tijd, a total of 73 out of the 150 representatives seated before the elections did not get re-elected. This includes two Ecolo ministers, Marie-Colline Leroy and Georges Gilkinet, who are entitled to receive 12.4 million euros in exit compensation.
The Flemish Parliament also has to pay out stop premiums of 7.7 million euros to 54 non-re-elected parliamentarians. To ensure that these ex-parliamentarians do not lose their income suddenly, their salary continues for a period of time after leaving office. While the House’s regulations tend to be more generous than those of the Flemish Parliament, there is an exceptional regime in place for MPs with many years of service.
It is important to note that parliaments do not automatically pay out compensation to former members but only if an application has been submitted. Some MPs have stated that they will only request half of their compensation while others have declared that they will not apply for any compensation at all. It remains unclear how many former members will actually submit applications for compensation and what impact this may have on government finances in the future.
