Iceland’s president turns down a monthly pay increase of $5,300

‘Guðni Th. Jóhannesson, Iceland’s president, told reporters today that he is not accepting a 600,000 ISK (5,300 USD/4,800 EUR) monthly increase of his salary, awarded last weekend by the official Salaries Tribunal (link in Icelandic). However, the president’s salary can’t be lowered, according to Iceland’s constitution.
Guðni’s solution is to donate the raise to a good cause. He refused to say which and commented “I’m not intending to be a kind of Mother Teresa, and brag about that,” and later clarified he was not suggesting that the Saint of Calcutta had been a braggart.
The Salaries Tribunal has the responsibility for determining the rates of remuneration for the president, members of parliament, government ministers, judges and more state employees.’
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