It seems a long time ago that the Meloni government promised retirement after 41 years of contributions, regardless of age. While Italian parliamentarians are preparing to receive the thorny budget law for 2025, the Minister of Public Administrations, Paolo Zangrillo, has suggested that civil servants will be able to continue working until the age of 70.
However, he clarified that these departures three years after the Italian age of majority would be based on “a voluntary choice reserved for those who still feel capable of contributing to their sector.” Italy, the oldest state in Europe, with an average age of 48 according to Eurostat, suffers from staff shortages in many public sectors, starting with education, justice and health.
Although the country is accused of lacking public services, the problem could be aggravated by the wave of retirements that is coming in the coming years.
Debt at 137% of GDP
The Italian minister also sees it as a way to ease the “financial pressure on the pension system”. “It is the first bill that weighs on the country’s accounts,” recalls Nicolas Doze. “They have such a monstrous debt that we cannot imagine paying it indefinitely.”
Italy’s debt currently stands at 137% of GDP, one of the highest in Europe. Italy is one of seven countries, along with France, Belgium, Hungary, Malta, Poland and Slovakia, for which the Commission has opened an excessive deficit procedure.
The Italian unions were quick to respond. They denounced an extension that could have “negative effects for those who want to leave before” the age of 70. They also expressed concern about the “physical and psychological durability” of workers, given that jobs where the limitations are greater.
This is not enough to reassure unions who fear that this option could one day become mandatory.
An early age that is sparking debate across Europe
Raising the retirement age is an issue that is being discussed in many European countries. In Germany, while the country is gradually lowering the retirement age from 65 to 67 for the age groups from 1947 to 1964, some are already talking about the possibility of raising it to 71.
In France, the issue is back on the table like a sea serpent. Édouard Philippe, who announced his candidacy for the 2027 presidential election, is campaigning to push back the starting age to 67. In contrast, the National Front and the NFP want to reverse the pension reform enacted in 2023, which raised the retirement age from 62 to 64. The new Prime Minister, Michel Barnier, for his part, suggested that an “improvement” of the law could be considered, without affecting the retirement age.
Source: BFM TV
