Rama and Begaj record salaries in the Balkans, 5 times above the national average

A few years ago, Prime Minister Rama entered the competition with the region, promising that very soon, the average salary in the country would reach the Western Balkan countries, such as Serbia, North Macedonia, Montenegro and Bosnia, which at that time had salaries 30-50% higher than ours.

The average monthly salary in the country has indeed increased, reaching 860 euros gross by 2025, but others have not remained in place either. In Serbia, the average monthly gross salary has reached 1290 euros, in Bosnia and Herzegovina 1245, in Montenegro 1203 euros, in North Macedonia, 1100 euros, according to a previous Monitor publication based on official data from the statistical agencies of the respective countries.

So far, the competition for employees has been lost, as salaries in the region's countries continue to remain 30-50% higher than in Albania.

In fact, the prime minister has kept his promise, but only for himself and the country's president.

"Monitor" in cooperation with its correspondents in the Western Balkan countries reports the salaries of high-level government officials, such as the president and prime minister, in all 6 Western Balkan countries.

Bosnia and Herzegovina and Albania top the list for salaries, while Albania is absolutely first for the salary of managers in relation to the average salary in the country.

In Albania, the President has a gross monthly salary of 425,000 lekë, or 4,470 euros at the current exchange rate. His salary is 5.2 times higher than the average salary in the country.

The Albanian Prime Minister has an average gross monthly salary of 393 thousand lek, or 4,130 euros. His salary is 4.8 times higher than the average in the country and the highest of all Balkan prime ministers.

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the administrative structure is complicated. Bosnia and Herzegovina does not have a single President of the state. Instead, it is governed by a tripartite Presidency, which represents the country's three main ethnic communities. The country has two prime ministers, one for each of its two entities: the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republika Srpska. For prime ministers, the average gross salary (calculated as the average of the two salaries) is around 4,000 euros, and for presidents, the average is around 4,600 euros, the highest in the Balkans. However, in relation to the average salary in the country, the difference is lower than with Albania (respectively 3.7 times for the president and 3.2 times for the prime minister) due to the higher salary in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

In terms of net salaries, the Albanian president and prime minister lead the Balkans, as Bosnia and Herzegovina has a higher fiscal burden. The net salary of the Albanian president is around 320 thousand lek, or almost 3400 euros, compared to the 3 thousand euro presidential average in Bosnia.

The Albanian prime minister is absolutely the highest paid, as he receives a net salary of 302 thousand lekë, or almost 3200 euros, compared to 2600-2700 euros for the prime ministers of Bosnia. The Albanian prime minister even has a net salary higher than the gross salaries of most of his counterparts in the Balkans.

Other Balkan countries, although they have higher average salaries, are more modest in the remuneration of senior executives who guide the country's policies.

In Montenegro, the president has a gross salary of 2,700 euros, or 2.2 times the average Montenegrin salary. The country's prime minister also has a salary at similar levels.

Serbia is the country that has managed to have the highest average gross salary in the region, but in contrast, it pays the country's leaders the least. The president has a gross salary of 338 thousand dinars, or 2,740 euros, only 2.1 times more than the average salary in the country. The prime minister has a gross salary of 282 thousand denars, or about 2,300 euros, 1.8 times more than the average salary in the country.

Salaries are not declared in North Macedonia, but media have reported that the president and prime minister each receive around 140,000 Macedonian denars net, which corresponds to a gross salary of 206,000 denars, or around 3,300 euros, or three times the average salary in the country.

In Kosovo, the president's gross monthly base salary is 1,980 euros, or 1.64 times the average salary in the country. The prime minister has a gross base salary of 1,870 euros (1.55 times the average salary).

Managers' salaries compared to the average

Albania is the country where the president and prime minister have the highest difference with the average salary in the country, with about 5 times more. The second highest difference is in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with 3.2-3.7 times. Next is North Macedonia, with about 3 times, followed by Kosovo with 2.6-2.8 times. In Montenegro, the salaries of senior executives are 2.2 times above the average and at the bottom is Serbia, where executives receive less than twice the average.

While Serbia has the highest average monthly salary in the Balkans and 50% more than in Albania, the Albanian president and prime minister have salaries 63% and 80% higher than their Serbian counterparts, respectively. /Monitor