One of the key points of the Civic Coalition's electoral run was the celebrated "100 concretes", where Donald Tusk promised, among others, a simplification in the number of ministers and deputy ministers. This was to be a step towards simplifying the structure of the government and reducing the costs of public administration. However, as the current data shows, this promise remains unfulfilled. The government now has 109 people, which is akin to the number of government members in Matthew Morawiecki's day. The cost of maintaining this structure exceeds PLN 2 million per month.
How has government changed in fresh years?
At the end of 2017, under the regulation of law and justice, the number of government members reached a evidence level of over 120 people. This was the minute in which Mateusz Morawiecki took the position of Prime Minister after Beata Szydło. At the end of the Law and Justice, the number of ministers and deputy ministers was 112. The current government of the Civic Coalition has 109 people, and a year ago this number was 107. Prime Minister Donald Tusk has 2 deputies – Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz and Krzysztof Gawkowski, who besides manage ministries.
There are 24 ministers in the current government, each supported by deputy ministers. The number of Deputy Ministers is 82, including 38 State Secretaries and 44 Undersecretaries of State. The biggest teams of deputy ministers work in the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of abroad Affairs – in both cases it is 7 people.
Costs of government administration
According to Business Insider Polska, the full salaries of government members exceed PLN 2 million per month. The Minister's wage is over PLN 18.5 1000 gross, while the Deputy Minister earns little than PLN 17 thousand. On a yearly basis, nearly PLN 1.9 million is spent on salaries alone. Additionally, there are functional allowances and contributions from the Social safety Office financed by the employer, which further increases the full cost.
What did they promise “100 specifics”?
Point 70 of the Citizen Coalition program stated: “We will destruct the National Institute of Freedom, the Patriotic Fund, the De Republica Institute, and 14 another agencies and institutes appointed by the Law and Justice Offices, which are the retention facilities of written apparatusists. We will destruct 42 positions of government attorneys, reduce the number of ministers and deputy ministers." Although certain institutions and agencies have indeed been liquidated, the structure of the government remains almost intact.
Controversy around parliamentarians in government
Business Insider points out that as many as 54 of the 109 members of the government are besides parliamentarians. This is simply a practice introduced during the regulation of the Law and Justice, which may rise doubts from the point of view of the separation of authorities. In theory, Parliament should control the government's actions, but in this case many Members measure their decisions as members of the executive authority.
In addition, Members of the Deputy Ministers receive not only a government wage with a functional addition but besides a parliamentary diet, which makes this situation very financially viable.
Is it possible to reduce the number of ministers?
The expanded structure of the government is not a fresh problem, but it seems that politicians, regardless of organization colors, have difficulty reducing the number of posts. The argument frequently raised by the rulers is the advanced work of ministers and vice ministers and the request for specialisation in peculiar areas. However, the implementation of the electoral promises in this respect requires decisive steps.
Summary
Although the Civic Coalition has announced a simplification in the number of government members, this promise remains unfulfilled. The current number of ministers and deputy ministers is akin to that of the Law and Justice era. The cost of maintaining government remains a crucial burden on the state budget, which raises questions about the efficiency and legitimacy of specified an extended administration. Making promises requires not only good intentions, but besides determined political will.
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"Promises of cacanka a...". Analysis of "100 Unfulfilled Specifics" by Donald Tusk
