Kosovo Opposition MPs Slate Public Sector Pay Hikes

Opposition MPs condemnd the decision of the Kosovo government to increase salaries for employees in the public sector by 25 to 50 per cent on Thursday.

Ismet Beqiri, from the opposition Democratic League of Kosovo, LDK, said the decision was timed to meet the upcoming national elections and is therefore nothing more than a campaign tool on the part of the governing Democratic Party of Kosovo.

“You [the government] don’t need to increase my salary in order to make publicity. This is entirely a political campaign for the elections,” he said.

Several lawmakers said they did not want their salary to be increased and urged the government to help “impoverished” classes in society instead.

On Monday, the government announced significant increases to the salaries of over 80,000 people working in the public sector. It said that salaries for employees in the public sector will rise by 25 to 50 per cent by April.

Beneficiaries include teachers, academics, police, the security forces, civil servants and judges and prosecutors. Pensions for war veterans, war invalids and former political prisoners will also rise.

The increase in salaries also affects the Prime Minister, ministers, the President, lawmakers and the speaker of parliament.

Jakup Krasniqi, the speaker, described the decision as “illegal”, saying it lacked the approval of the parliament. “This decision needs the approval of the Kosovo parliament”, he said.

However, Hashim Thaci, the Prime Minister, said he would not back down from the decision taken on Monday.

“No political pressure whatever will make me withdraw the decision to increase salaries for employees in the public sector,” he said.

Thaci denied that the decision had...