No more time to lose on pensions
Despite the assurances given to us by the government when it assumed power two years ago, that there was no social security dilemma, we are now witnessing the launch of a debate aimed at establishing the framework within which social security reform is to be carried out. But this was a rather predictable development as the problems of pensions and social security have truly snowballed and are now also linked to countless social and economic problems. Social security is a problem which has been exacerbated by the failure of successive governments to broach it. And it is a problem that does not touch our country alone, but Europe as a whole, within which social security constitutes the very cornerstone of the welfare state. However, in view of the fact that our welfare state lags far behind its fellow European equivalents, its repercussions for poorer citizens can be far harsher. A simple analysis of statistics made public by the Union of Social Insurance Fund Employees (POPOKP) paints a grim picture. Nonpayment of social security contributions has reached the astronomical sum of 1.8 billion euros, according to POPOKP, which also revealed that the average monthly pension is just 475 euros. But this is not the first study to outline the extent of the problem in this area. The main challenge is to secure the viability of social security funds which, despite the huge wealth they have amassed over the past two decades, are steadily crumbling. It is clear that steps must be taken immediately to avert a collapse of our pension system, with all the negative repercussions that that would imply for society as a whole.
