“If there were no elections, many of these measures, whether from the government or from the opposition, would not be happening at this speed.”emphasized the former Minister of Social Security António Bagão Félix to DN, when asked about the effect that the early parliamentary elections of March 10 will have on the parties. “It is a good thing that there are elections, in the sense that they allow social progress and measures in favor of those who need them most”emphasizes.
Last Saturday, party chairman Luís Montenegro promised during the PSD congress that if he wins the elections, he will increase pensions in accordance with the law. Last Monday, Social Democratic parliamentary leader Joaquim Miranda Sarmento explained at the TSF that Montenegro’s pledge referred to the Solidarity Supplement for the Elderly, an extraordinary support that allows the poorest pensioners to receive a social benefit of 488.21 euros per month. according to the current rules. What Montenegro has proposed is that this value should be close to the national minimum wage, which will amount to 820 euros per month from January 2024.
“I am even convinced that the largest parties in the meeting agree with this. In other words, instead of exceptionally increasing minimum pensions, more than inflation, it is better to increase the solidarity allowance for the elderly. It’s the right place for increases. Because people who receive the solidarity allowance for the elderly must prove that they do not have sufficient resources.”, Bagão Félix continues. According to the economist, this proposal will not only carry more weight in terms of costs per beneficiary, but also reach more people. “The number of beneficiaries is increasing because the limit is 820 euros instead of 488 euros. In other words, currently someone who has a pension of 550 euros does not receive the elderly solidarity allowance because it is higher than 488 euros. time If you no longer have an income because you are below 820, you are entitled to this difference,” he concludes.
Miranda Sarmento said this measure would cost around 300 million euros, with the CSI gradually increasing until 2028, to 820 euros per month. According to social security data from October this year, there were currently 134,347 people who received an average of 143.30 euros in CSI.
Paulo Pedroso, economist and former Socialist governor of António Guterres’ government, sees Montenegro’s promise as a “good proposal” to increase the CSI to 820 euros and make this minimum income equal to the national minimum wage within two terms. But here he carefully asks what the PSD wants to do with the minimum wage. In short, he says, “the PSD outpaces the PCP on the left.” However, he adds that the PCP makes this proposal “in a context of increasing the value of the minimum wage, while this proposal in the PSD may be intended to hide a devaluation of the minimum wage.”
According to economist João Duque, this PSD proposal is “intended to satisfy a very large population that votes”, but for protection: “it is no different from what the PS did” by increasing the Single Circulation Tax (IUC) to turn back. “So they will say that the PSD is proposing a measure that is electoral. Of course it’s electoral, of course it is. Yes, just like that of the PS.”, to remind. When asked about the statements of Chega leader André Ventura, who on Monday called on right-wing parties to unite in the goal of raising all pensions to a minimum value of 820 euros, the economics professor repeats the recipe. “Now they have realized that the electoral stakes are there and will continue to increase. This will remain the case in the coming years and decades. It’s about promising the old people what they want: health care, pensions, health, pensions,” he concludes. João Duque.
“All measures are now electoral, because they will be part of the parties’ election manifestos.”adds Bagão Félix. ‘I mean, if this were the case, the parties, especially those in opposition, would be limited in their ability to propose measures. So what wouldn’t be electoral? Was it a reduction in pensions? Increase in pensions? was political harakiri”, the economics professor concludes. But still regarding the decrease in the increase in the IUC, the economist recalls, “because elections will come, all the rationality of the parliamentary leader of the Socialist Party has disappeared. [Eurico Brilhante Dias]who is not ashamed to think for 18 or 15 days that what he was defending, he suddenly stopped defending”.
Bernardo Blanco, deputy of the Liberal Initiative, demanded bills from the PSD and also criticized the Social Democrats for the proposal. “When these measures are proposed, almost at an election auction, it is important to present the bills. We still cannot understand how much these proposed measures cost,” he said.
According to José Soeiro, deputy of the Left Bloc, “the PSD proposal is a trick proposal on pensions, Montenegro’s version, because it is not about pensions”, as “it is not aimed at the more than two million pensioners, but at only 134 thousand people who are.” beneficiaries of the Solidarity Supplement for the Elderly,” he pointed out.
Source: DN
