Europe's Super-Bureaucrats Cash In When Leaving Office

American politicians have learned to feather their own nests, but the European Commission must be the most self-indulgent bureaucracy in the world. In addition to lavish pay and an extravagent penion, the Commissioner from Ireland is getting the equivalent of about $500,000 to ease his "re-entry" into private life. And this is on top of two taxpayer-financed pensions from the Irish taxpayers. Geesh, nice work if you can get it. The Irish Independent has the sordid details of politicians

European Commissioner Charlie McCreevy is poised to get almost €400,000 to resettle in Ireland when he leaves his post this autumn. ...The Irish Independent has learned Mr McCreevy will be entitled to a transitional allowance for a total of three years when he leaves Europe. The allowance, which aims to help commissioners with their "re-entry" into the non-EU world, is calculated as 50pc of Mr McCreevy's €238,919-a-year salary. It is paid the day he leaves office and works out at €119,459.50 a year -- with the final three-year tally in the region of €358,378. On top of this he will be entitled to receive a resettlement allowance worth €19,909.89 -- equal to a month's salary. And he will also be allowed to fly his family back to Ireland by business class and will be reimbursed for any moving costs he incurs. ...Last night Mr McCreevy's spokesman refused to answer repeated calls and emails from the Irish Independent to confirm if he would be taking the payments. He also refused to answer questions to confirm if Mr McCreevy is still taking his ministerial and Oireachtas pensions this year. Last year he was paid an Oireachtas pension of €52,213 for his time as a Fianna Fail TD for Kildare and a ministerial pension of €75,003 for serving as Finance and Enterprise Ministers.