Lower house committee backs pay cut for lawmakers

The committee for regulations, MPs's affairs and immunity matters of the Sejm (lower house of parliament) on Monday approved a bill to reduce lawmakers' pay by 20 percent. The bill was submitted to the Sejm in mid-April, after a controversy surrounding bonuses which had been allocated by the former Prime Minister Beata Szydlo to ministers and deputy ministers in her cabinet. Explaining the bill to the committee, the ruling Law and Justice party's Marcin Horala said the public has shown it "expects top state officials to exercise austerity in salaries."