The three State powers have different functions, their own scopes of action, and also complicated relationships, as evidenced by the constant clashes between the political and judicial classes. But their representatives had something in common earlier this year and that is that they will earn more than in 2022. Their salaries have been raised. The government and various local executives, the Cortes Generales, and the high court, among other institutions, need not wait for wage agreements between employers and unions that reduce the impact of inflation like millions of workers. Their budget items include increased remuneration for all of them.

The government has implemented a 4% increase, the same as agreed for civil servants. This is reflected in the country’s general budget, which sets President Pedro Sánchez’s salary at 90,010.20 euros. Vice presidents Nadia Calviño, Yolanda Díaz and Teresa Ribera will receive 84,600.72 euros and ministers, 79,415.16 euros. There is also a 4% increase for those in charge of government advisory bodies: the president of the State Council, Magdalena Valerio, will win 90,383.28 euros and the president of the Economic and Social Council, Antón Costas, will win 98,741.40 euros. In twelve monthly payments, with no additional payments.

The President of the Government will receive 90,000 euros this year; Rajoy, Zapatero, Aznar and González, 74,500

A separate issue is whether this remuneration is appropriate for the positions they hold. The President of the Government will only get 15,000 euros more than his predecessor. Felipe González, José María Aznar, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero and Mariano Rajoy will receive an allocation of 74,500 euros, out of an item of 298,320 euros, established since 2019, which the Government allocated to the former president.

For another year, Sánchez and his ministers will earn less – and this is a significant difference – than their counterparts in France, Germany, Italy, Britain, Belgium or Austria, to name a few neighboring countries. And the same thing happened with the salaries of MPs. Whether the politicians in Spain won the right amount or not is an open debate. Which for some people a lot, for others a little, but the reality is that it takes competent politicians to lead institutions. And more than the money they earn, what has to be judged is whether they get paid. And that applies both to those currently in the Government and to those who carry out the important work of the opposition.

Main party leaders have seats in the Cortes Generales. What will they be wearing in 2023? Wages in the legislature did not increase evenly. Congress approved a 2% increase, while the Senate gave itself 3.5%. PP President and leader of the opposition, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, will collect 14 payments of 3,096.42 euros as a senator, and another 14 (tax-free) of 1,987.39 euros, because they come from constituencies other than Madrid, in Galicia his case, which amounts to 71,173.34 euros – less than what he earned as president of the Xunta–, which does not exclude that he received an additional salary from PP.

All senators have the same allowance of 3,096.42 euros per month and fourteen payments, but the additions vary. The President of the Senate, Ander Gil, added over 8,000 additional euros due to his position, coming from constituencies other than Madrid (1,987.39 euros, which are not taxable), and chairing the legislative commission (1,575.02 euros), which added up to 209,875.54 euro.

Congress handles salary figures somewhat differently. The allowance for deputies is 3,050.62 euros per month, as stated in the Transparency section of the website, which does not renew in 2% increments. Add-ons are added to that allocation. As in the Senate, deputies have a monthly compensation that varies depending on whether they are elected by Madrid (935.37 euros) or by another constituency (1959.62 euros). Group spokespersons receive monthly supplements of 2,896.98 euros per month, and commission presidents, one of 1,551.58 euros. The President of the Chamber, Meritxell Batet, has a monthly allowance of 9,933.65 euros, is a representative of Barcelona and chairs the commission, so his salary is above 230,000 euros, because a 2% increase must be applied .

With few exceptions, the salaries of public officials in Spain are not enough to make money. There’s no comparison to what you can earn in the private sector, plus you have to endure a fairly high level of scrutiny. And that is why some professionals, fully competent to be at the forefront of politics, either refuse to do it or give up when they start to see what’s behind it; without going any further, it was pressure from the political parties that had elevated them.

Judge salaries have also increased. In the top group of remuneration is the president of the Constitutional Court, Pedro González-Trevijano, with a salary of 167,169.10 euros. He is followed by the president of the General Council of Justice, Rafael Mozo, who will win 151,186.20 euros. The Attorney General of the State, Álvaro García Ortiz, will invoice 132,235.68 euros. And the president of the Court of Accounts, Enriqueta Chicano, 130,771.62 euros.