Socialist MPs top richest list of Albanian lawmakers

Socialist MPs top the richest list of lawmakers in Albania with former socialist controversial businessman Tom Doshi and former finance minister Anastas Angjeli leading.

Following the richest list of Albanian MPs is former Prime Minister Sali Berisha and Sherefedin Shehu, both MPs of opposition Democratic Party.

According to OpenData.Al a transparency portal in Albania, the calculations are derived from the official asset and salary statements of each MP and several factors have been taken into consideration.

OpenData has looked at Parliamentary income, other bonuses and benefits from teaching and honorary positions across academia, income from board memberships, income from bank deposit interests, copyright earnings, spouse income and other earngs from private husiness interests.

According to findings, every Albanian MP has made in 2015 an average of Leke 700,000 ALL or around 5000 Euros per month, a sum lower than many European counterparts, but 5 times more than a normal MP salary and way above the average Albanian salaries.

While state income is among lowest in Europe, corruption decayed Albania has struggeled to increase public salaries, ignoring EU and other international organisations findings that there is a direct link between low pay and high corruption.

Looking for alternative sources of income is quite common among state employed personel, strugling to satisfy their lifestyle with the current level of low salaries paid by the Albanian administration.

Albania is a candidate country for EU membership and cleaning up its politics has been one of the main challenges of the small South East European country, whose lawmakers have just approved a milestone reform of the entire justice system.