Combining the salary increase of the deputies plus their benefits and bonuses, their salary is higher than Sheinbaum's
To justify the increase, Ricardo Monreal, leader of Morena in the Chamber of Deputies, declared that the measure responds to inflation. Curiously, the clause prohibiting salary increases was eliminated just this year. That modification allowed breaking with the austerity guidelines that had been in place since 2023.
Meanwhile, the Morena government continues to promote a discourse of austerity and sacrifice, their federal deputies approved a monthly salary increase in 2025. The so-called "dieta" went from 75 thousand to 79 thousand pesos, not including other economic supports that raise their income to more than 153 thousand pesos per month.
In contrast, millions of Mexicans survive on minimum wages or without access to basic services. However, in the Chamber of Deputies, the legislators, who claim to be representatives of the people, seem to live in a very different reality.
In addition to the salary increase, each deputy receives 45,786 pesos monthly for "legislative assistance" and 28,772 pesos for "citizen attention." They also receive "support for transportation and lodging" ranging from 8 thousand to up to 96 thousand pesos monthly, depending on the location registered in their INE.
This means that, on average, each legislator could be earning more than 160 thousand pesos monthly. And that's not counting other benefits like bonuses, trips, or year-end bonuses. The total sum is offensive to a population that barely makes it to the end of the month.
Meanwhile, restrictions were maintained for other legislative workers, such as reducing the use of paper, water, electricity, and avoiding the purchase of new furniture. A "selective austerity" that protects those at the top and squeezes those at the bottom.
The excesses don't end there. Every year-end, deputies receive a bonus equivalent to 40 days of salary, that is, more than 104 thousand pesos per person. They also receive 58,297 pesos for their legislative report and 38,363 pesos as a "citizen attention bonus."
These benefits imply an additional expense of more than 100 million pesos from the treasury. All this happens while the government claims to be saving 2 million with its internal austerity measures. The cynicism is evident.
Morena has shown that its leftist discourse and closeness to the people is completely rhetorical. When it comes time to distribute public money, their legislators place themselves at the front of the line. Republican austerity is, once again, a convenient farce.
