‘Diet, fuel, and rent’, 200 million lek for MPs’ luxury in 2025

The Albanian Parliament on Friday published an analysis of the implementation of the institution’s budget for 2025, showing that the financial benefits arising from the status of MPs reach 200 million lek, or 44.2 percent of the institution’s total operational expenses.

These benefits include reimbursements for phone expenses, fuel, per diems within the country, fees for attending parliamentary committee meetings, and coverage of rent for deputies who do not live in Tirana.

These expenditures are considered additional financial benefits on top of MPs’ salaries and are sanctioned in the “Status of the Deputy” and the Parliament’s decision “On the Treatment of Deputies.”

Meanwhile, expenses for foreign travel, including tickets, per diems, and accommodation, cost the budget 60 million lek in 2025, an amount the Parliament describes as a “considerable” subgroup within operational expenses.

The Parliament’s budget is divided into two programs: the “Legislative Activity, Diplomacy, and Parliamentary Oversight” program and the supporting program “Planning, Management, and Administration.”

According to the Parliament’s analysis, the legislative program has the largest specific weight. It includes salaries and contributions for MPs and political staff; financial benefits for MPs arising from their status; foreign travel expenses; organization of conferences; hosting and accompanying delegations; and payments to translators and external experts.

Salaries and social contributions in the actual budget reach approximately 1.2 billion lek.

“The composition of human resources (according to the actual number for 2025) is: MPs make up 32% of the total, political staff 14%, civil servants 44%, and supporting staff 10% of the total,” the analysis states.

Within operational expenses, 11 million lek were spent on fees for external experts in investigative or special committees, 16 million lek for implementing court decisions, maintenance of electronic systems and office equipment, 49 million lek for office maintenance, and an additional 28 million lek for water and electricity bills, transport, and office supplies.

During the past year, the Parliament also made several investments, mainly in information technology, including 30 million lek for transcribing audio-video data of parliamentary sessions using artificial intelligence, 5.6 million lek for implementing a system for public interaction, and 1.2 million lek for creating a new app named “Parliament of Albania.”

These investments also included the purchase of two vehicles worth 14.5 million lek and office furniture and equipment totaling 23 million lek, including ceremonial carpets, lighting for committee halls, and furnishings for the new permanent committees that began work in September 2025.

“KORÇA BOOM”