You’d hardly put Romania in the “leading the way” department unless ‘inventing vampires’ was a subcategory. However, Romanian government ministers across the board have taken a 20% pay cut as a gesture towards sorting out their economic mess.

For those who dimiss such moves as tokens, consider this: in an era of perceived snouts-in-the-trough it shows politicians as being in touch. Which of course is why it hasn’t crossed McDoom’s mind. Neither has trimming the number of ministers or MP’s, because of course that would reduce the power of patronage. All three are Tory policy, although lets wait and see if they happen.

This article from the Romanian Times – consider not only the high percentage of the cut but the extremely low wage level that it must start from. How much should you pay a Prime Minister? Well Emil Boc is on about 17,000 euro a year:

“Romanian ministers will take a 20-per-cent pay cut by year’s end to to cut national expenditures.

The secretary general of the government and the head of the Department for European Affairs, both of whom have the rank of minister, will also suffer the same pay-cut.”

Pay attention, Westminster.