Spain Votes To Stop Subsidizing Cocktails For Politicians
Spain's Parliament has heard the will of its people and decided to stop treating themselves to special cut-rate cocktails.
An official Spanish bulletin recently published the prices of menu items at the country's parliamentary café and restaurant, and the populace suddenly realized that their pols were drinking some seriously subsidized spirits.
According to The Local, the most expensive thing on the cocktail menu was just €6.25, or $8.10. That might sound like a fair bit, but prices in Europe generally skew high, and that was the priciest item of alcohol politicians could buy. The cheapest well gin was €3.45, or $4.47.
News that their politicians were enjoying government-subsidized cocktails did not sit well with the people of Spain at a time when one in four Spaniards is unemployed.
To their credit, as soon as the politicians heard the outcry they realized it did look really bad and voted unanimously to end the subsidies.
"It has upset people, and rightly so, which is why we have decided to change it," said parliamentary spokesperson Alfonso Alonso.
Parliament will continue to serve subsidized meals, including self-service and sandwiches, but the government-sponsored alcohol has dried up for now.