Coalition in no rush with the pension reform

Mramor: New legislation should be passed immediately

According to Mramor a new pension reform, with an immediate effect, is indeed unnecessary at this moment. Foto: MMC RTV SLO/Mojca Prosenc

The coalition discussed reform measures today putting an emphasis on the pension reform. The SD Social Democrats and the DeSUS Pensioners’ Party see no need for new reforms until the year 2020. Meanwhile a priority for the SMC Modern Centre Party is the implementation of an active employment policy.

Finance Minister Dušan Mramor stirred up the coalition on Sunday by saying that the country’s public finances could be stabilized by extending the active working age, shortening the years for studying, introducing later retirements and better conditions on the labour market.

At the sidelines of a parliamentary session he said his coalition partners probably misunderstood what he said. According to Mramor a new pension reform, with an immediate effect, is indeed unnecessary at this moment. However he reminded that the reform passed in 2012 will complete its transitional period in 2019, which is when its effects will become visible.
Mramor said it would be senseless to wait for a pension reform with later effects and added that much needed legislation had to be passed immediately.

Han fears the early retirement proposal
According to the head of the DeSUS deputy group, Franc Jurša, the coalition partners agree that the 2012 pension reform is giving results and that it is necessary to consider what kind of changes could be made after the year 2020.

"Such an initiative from the finance minister will only upset the public and lead to an increase in retirements," said the head of the SD deputy group Matjaž Han. According to Han the coalition’s position does not go against minister Mramor, but he added that some things had to be viewed realistically. "We’re talking about reforms and upsetting the public without any real reason," was Han’s sharp reaction.

The reform could wait a little
The head of the SMC deputy group Simona Kustec Lipicer explained that talk on certain measures had to be finalized by Wednesday. The measures in question are aimed at introducing an active employment policy into the national reform program.

The SMC is more cautious about the issue and says the current pension reform, with its effects in 2019, will not be as important if measures for an active employment policy were introduced in the meantime. According to Kustec Lipicer, discussions on structural reforms are not being held only in order to sustain the country’s public finances, but mostly because of the responsibility we have for the future.

A. Č.; translated by K. J.