Two MEPs have challenged the European Commission to disclose the pay gap between its President, Vice-Presidents, and other members, questioning whether the institution's own graded salary structure aligns with its public commitment to equal pay.
In a parliamentary question submitted on 9 June 2026, Markus Buchheit (ESN) and Elisabeth Dieringer (PfE) asked the Commission to reveal the salary differentials, including housing allowances, between the President and Vice-Presidents on one hand, and the majority of Commissioners on the other. They also demanded the Commission's view on how its internal, role-based pay scale squares with its own demands for eliminating the gender pay gap.
The question does not specify numerical targets or deadlines, but it seeks a policy clarification from the Commission, which typically must reply within six weeks. The answer will signal whether the Commission considers its top-level pay structure consistent with its transparency and equality rhetoric.
The MEPs' intervention targets the Commission's credibility as an employer and advocate for gender equality, potentially affecting public trust and internal morale. If the Commission discloses a significant gap, it could fuel criticism from civil society and trade unions, while a refusal to disclose may be seen as a transparency failure. The graded salary system itself reflects a trade-off between rewarding seniority and responsibility versus adhering to strict pay equality—a tension the Commission must now address publicly.