Opposition challenges minimum pensions

OPPOSITION parties have collected enough signatures from MPs to challenge the recently approved legislation on the minimum pension at the Constitutional Court.

(Source: SME)

“I’m glad that the day has come when we’ve recognised and confirmed with 66 signatures that the anti-constitutional character [of the bill] is more than clear,” said Erika Jurinová, MP for the Ordinary People and Independent Personalities (OĽaNO) movement, as quoted by the TASR newswire. “I believe that the Constitutional Court will address the issue appropriately, and we’ll see how it pans out. I think that 66 signatures in support of this initiative is enough of an indication that not all is right with the bill.”

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Read also: MPs override Kiska veto on minimum pension bill Read more 

Lawyer Peter Kubina stressed that the politicians are not objecting to the minimum pension as such, but to the law’s provision whereby the minimum pension should be cut for pensioners who have saved for their retirement in the private second pillar of the system.

“If the Constitutional Court grants our request, nobody will lose out on anything,” Kubina said, as quoted by TASR. “The concept of the minimum pension will be preserved, no pensioner will lose anything. Only those from whom lawmakers have taken something away would receive what they are due.”

The lawyer also singled out ‘discrimination’ as the main reason for challenging the law.

The same view on discrimination was stated by Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) vice-chairman Jozef Mihál, who noted that the minimum pension is covered from state budget funds.

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According to the new rules, all pensioners who have paid social insurance contributions for at least 30 years will qualify for a minimum pension that will amount to €269.50 per month. The pension will be progressively higher with each additional year of payment into the social insurance system. Consequently, people who reach retirement age and have paid the respective contributions for at least 40 years will be entitled to a minimum pension of €311.30 per month.

The legislation was vetoed by President Andrej Kiska in late May, but the parliament overrode this in mid June, TASR wrote.

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