Readers have raised the question of whether MPs will be paid their salaries for the month of May, even though Parliament has been dissolved and has ceased to exist as a body since April 23.
The answer is yes. The 56 MPs, as well as the three elected representatives of the religious groups of Armenians, Latins and Maronites, will also receive remuneration of approximately €6,000 net each for the month of May. Included in the allowances to be paid is the so‑called lump‑sum allowance of around €700, which is granted as compensation for travel expenses related to MPs’ participation in parliamentary and plenary sessions.
The answer derives directly from the Constitution, the supreme law of the state. Article 65 explicitly provides that Parliament is elected for a five‑year term and that the outgoing Parliament continues to function until the commencement of the work of the newly elected Parliament.
Article 67 further allows for the self‑dissolution of Parliament at least 40 days before the first sitting of the new Parliament. The fact that MPs retain their parliamentary status even after dissolution, and therefore continue to receive the prescribed remuneration and enjoy related privileges such as parliamentary immunity, arises from the interpretation of Article 68 of the Constitution, which regulates the transitional period.
According to this provision, Parliament continues to function until the new Parliament begins its work, but without the power to pass laws or make decisions on any matter, except in cases of urgent and exceptional unforeseen circumstances, which must be expressly defined.
Such cases may include, for example, referrals of laws by the President of the Republic. In such an event, Parliament must convene within 15 days to examine the referral and decide whether to accept it.
According to information provided by Parliament’s accounting office, salary payments to outgoing MPs will cease on the day the newly elected MPs are sworn in. From that same date, payment of salaries to the newly elected MPs will begin. Parliamentary elections are scheduled for May 24, with the swearing‑in of the new Parliament expected to take place during the final week of May.
MPs’ Pay
The three representatives of the religious groups are elected every five years in the same way as MPs. Although they do not have voting rights, they enjoy the same institutional rights as MPs, including parliamentary immunity and corresponding remuneration.
For the month of May, the 56 MPs and the three religious group representatives will receive the following amounts, according to the General Accounting Office of the Republic:
- Gross salary: €4,693
- Allowances: €3,700
Allowances include the cost‑of‑living allowance and a secretarial services allowance, which is paid to all 59 members and constitutes an additional benefit, beyond the employment of parliamentary assistants whose salaries are covered by the state. Parliament currently employs 100 parliamentary assistants, with €5.6 million allocated in the 2026 parliamentary budget to cover their remuneration.
The allowances also include the lump‑sum travel allowance for participation in sessions and other parliamentary duties, as well as a representation allowance.
According to the General Accounting Office, MPs are subject to the following monthly deductions:
- Widows’ Fund: €237
- Pension scheme or gratuity: €538
- GESY contribution: €210
- Income tax: €1,460
In cases where tax deductions apply, such as for insurance premiums, the income tax deduction is reduced accordingly.
It is noted that no social insurance contributions are deducted from MPs’ remuneration, as the amounts they receive, including allowances, are classified as compensation rather than salary. However, this compensation includes allowances that are pensionable, another noted inconsistency.
The net monthly income of an MP amounts to approximately €6,000. The lump‑sum allowance is paid separately into MPs’ bank accounts by Parliament’s accounting office and does not appear on the payroll statements issued by the General Accounting Office. The final net amount received is lower, however, due to an additional mandatory monthly party contribution, ranging from €300 to €500 depending on the MP’s party affiliation.
The Proposal of the Late Andreas Angelides
Former DIKO parliamentary spokesperson and prominent lawyer Andreas Angelides was the first to highlight the anomaly arising from the self‑dissolution of Parliament.
In a memorandum sent to party leaders and parliamentary representatives on April 21, 2011, the day Parliament dissolved, he proposed that Parliament suspend its work rather than dissolve itself. He argued that this would ensure institutional continuity in the event of extraordinary circumstances, while also allowing the uninterrupted completion of the five‑year term provided for under Article 65 of the Constitution.
“It is inconceivable for there to be no Parliament for 40 days, because if it dissolves and ceases to exist as an outgoing body, it would be unable to convene to address any exceptional circumstance should one arise, as provided for in Article 68. That is why the first sitting of the new Parliament is set by the outgoing Parliament. Otherwise, no one would have the authority to convene it after the elections,” Angelides wrote.
