Italy protest party gives back €1.5m in wages

Lawmakers from the Five Star Movement (M5S), Italy's maverick protest party, on Thursday returned over 1.5 million euros (1.9 million dollars) from their salaries and allowances to draw attention to Italy's huge national debt, dpa reportedd. The money - collected over two and a half months - will be given to the Treasury to help pay back Italy's 2-trillion-euro (2.7-trillion-dollar) public debt, which at more than 130 per cent of gross domestic product is the second-highest level in Europe after Greece. Italian lawmakers earn a net basic monthly salary of 5,000 euros, and also receive allowances and refunds worth thousands more, compared to an average Italian net household income of around 2,000 euros according to OECD figures.