The highest grade of European Union’s civil servants will now earn wages of over €20,000(£18,000) per month, about €400 more including allowances per month.
As revealed by Germany’s Bild newspaper, the EU salaries and pensions were increased retroactively from 1 July 2018 and just in time for Christmas.
The Cost of Living wage rise means that Jean-Claude Juncker, president of the European Commission will now earn roughly €32,700 a month, €550 more than he was. The EC has said that the 1.5 per cent increase is a cost of living increase, equivalent to €6,600 per year.
Using the cost of living in Belgium and Luxembourg, as well as bureaucrats in other EU countries’ wages as a guide, the EU’s statistics agency calculates the annual salary increases for EU commissioners.