The New York Times has a report on the endemic corruption of the European Parliament, a candy store of tax-free perks and bonuses for bureaucrats and their families : In Europe’s Parliament, a Fondness for the Perks. (Hat tip: Mary.)

The Parliament is increasingly influential, passing laws on issues like agriculture, commerce and the environment, which affect life in 25 countries. Still, turnout for Parliament elections is slumping, and many Europeans cannot identify their representative. But if being one of 732 Parliament members does not assure great power or prominence, it certainly pays in perks.

“It’s really like gravy train gone mad,” a member from England said privately.

Take travel expenses. A legislator from Finland can fly round trip to Brussels, where the Parliament meets, for about $240. But under Parliament rules, members are reimbursed at the highest economy price, meaning that a Finnish member could receive about 10 times the cost of the trip.

The pension plan is also generous, offering any member over 60 who has served at least five years about $1,500 a month.

There is no ban on relatives working as Parliament aides, and relatives of at least two dozen members do. There are taxi allowances, free language lessons and daily expense stipends, even on days when no official business is conducted. Most benefits are tax free.

Whether all this bothers Europeans may soon become clear. Beginning June 10, voters from Ireland in the west to Latvia and Lithuania in the east will cast ballots for the Parliament, in the first election since the European Union accepted 10 new countries earlier this month. Issues like trade and immigration have surfaced during the campaign, but so has the Parliament’s smorgasbord of perks.