In Denmark, everybody goes everywhere by bike.

Hi guys,

I was just wondering if this is true, it's circulating around in several emails, it's about politicians.

1. Deputy's goto work in bycicles.

2. Deputy's do not have a car supplied by the state, and no driver.

3. Deputy's have a very very small house supplied by the state (20/40 square metters).

4. In the 90's, there wasn't even a house supplied by the state, so they had a couch in their office and that's where they sleep

5. In Sweden, the prime minister has a very small house, and no employers at all.

Basically, no luxurious provided by the tax payers go tot he politician class.

Can someone that know if this is true, comment ?

I think there's a lot of miss-information going around, but well, I may be wrong.

Thanks,

1. wrong they have special cars(they used to but not any more).

2. wrong they have a car and a driver OR free public transportation.

3. They have several apartments they can use and they are also allowed to stay in Hotels on the tax payers money when needed.

4. Again that is really not correct. Their are several "share" apartments when needed or they could stay at hotels(paid over the tax).

5. Well if the intelligence service who guard him is not counted as employers then... Wrong and also all prime ministers of Scandinavia is provided with a very special residents where they have the option of living with their family if they see fit, however many opt to use them for meetings and special occasions only.

"Basically, no luxurious provided by the tax payers go tot he politician class."

Well if free public transportation for the rest of your life,

a pension on like 133.333 us dollars annually for the rest of your life after you reach around 63 if you manage to be a minister for like a year,

paid cab money,

8333 us dollars monthly for the next four years if you are a parliament member and do not get re-elected for a term more,

extra pension for your kids when they reach the pension age due the fact you have been a minister,

IS NOT called luxurious provided by the tax payers then yes otherwise no.

I am a Scandinavian and I can tell you that when a local government here need to build something a lot of local officials has been uncovered in cooperating with the company who came with an offer so the price of a task would cost the taxpayer twice the normal amount(the 50 percent would be shared between the local official and the owner of the private company).

Scandinavian is often praised for not being corrupt and wasting the taxpayers money... Up here we are just better at hiding the truth and with a tax on like 60 percent then... ya then...

I'll make it short. No that that is not true, but I am proud people think about us like this

All is mostly true expect the very small house and low pay.

*maybe i should elaborate abit...

As far as i know, the minister gets a car, but not a driver only for official events
They pay and maintain their own house, currently the prime minister in denmark lives in a medium sized house (100-120 m^2 i would guess)
Most ministers who lives in copenhagen tend to take the bike - mainly to set and example, i feel..
I have never heard about any minister who couldn't afford a house and had to sleep at "work"

There is very little luxury items compared to big private CEO´s. but they do sometime makes scandals, where they spend 5000€ on wine, for events..

The prime minister's(she used to live in Strasbourg as a member of the EU Parliament) husband is a CEO of a huge company in Switzerland and the mother of her husband is a powerful profile in the labour party in England. Also the small castle called Marianborg is free for her to use... The home she and her husband is living in with their small kids are a three floor house in one of the most expensive areas of Copenhagen. One floor alone would cost around 1 or 2 millions Kroners.

Also the bike thing has more or less gone away since all the terrorism threats against Denmark began. The current gov droved their bikes the day they very inserted by the Queen(under police protection) and have not done it often since.

Oh also all elected members of the parliament get money to hire a secretary for on monthly basic(they do not need to spend the money on one and they can keep them for themselves if they like to in addition to their own salary).

Their is sooo much misinformation here.

I don't think that "luxurious provided by the tax payers" is a bottleneck anyway. Yes, politicians should be our examples or whatever, but we really should get over this luxury from the tax payers money thing.

"In Denmark, everybody goes everywhere by bike."

OOI -- what's the solution for people who can't ride a bike?