Prime Minister Alexander De Croo (Open Vld) has responded to the pension reforms at VTM NEWS. Last week’s budget agreement showed, among other things, that the minimum pensions will increase in 2024, but by 8 euros less. De Croo finds it “unprecedented” that the minimum pensions “have been increased by more than 300 euros net per month”. “But you can’t go too far,” he said. The prime minister also responds to the increase in the retirement age to 67 that it is a “theoretical concept” and that the increase only applies to “people who start working late”.
Two out of three Flemish people do not want to work until they are 67. This is evident from the Grand Poll of HLN and VTM NEWS. The retirement age is currently 65, but from 2030 it will be officially raised to 67 years. De Croo emphasizes that there is a difference between the legal and the effective retirement age and that the legal age mainly counts for people who have studied longer and started working later.
“Today, about 10 percent of people of legal age stop,” De Croo said at VTM NEWS. “As the age goes up, for the vast majority of people who start working around the age of 20 or 21, that will not apply,” it said. “What is important is the effective career: it should be 42 to 43 years long.”
The prime minister says he is determined to implement another pension reform this legislature, which will focus on two aspects. Firstly, the cost of aging must be kept under control. Secondly, De Croo believes that everyone should make an effort. “Because there are still certain groups that are allowed to retire much earlier and that is not logical.” For example, NMBS train drivers and supervisors are allowed to retire at the age of 55 and after 30 years of service. Soldiers are also allowed to retire today at the age of 56, after 37.5 years of service. De Croo wants to tackle those “holy cows” and ensure a “fair system”.
Minimum pensions
Last week, the federal core cabinet reached an agreement on the budget. Among other things, it was decided that the minimum pensions will increase in 2024, but with about 8 euros less. Asked why the government has the lowest instead of the highest pensions, De Croo replied that “the highest pensions have already been capped”. “The minimum pensions have been increased by more than 300 euros net per month during this legislature (…), which is unprecedented. But you shouldn’t go too far either. “They will still rise, but a little less.”
The prime minister was also asked about the illegal pension bonuses that eight former top civil servants and five former presidents of parliament – including father Herman De Croo – were paid for years. According to the prime minister, it cannot be “that politicians are one of the only ones who can decide about their own pension”. He proposes a separate committee of non-politicians that compares the Belgian system with that of our neighboring countries and then comes up with a different proposal. De Croo wants to take the system “out of the hands of the politicians”.
LOOK. Hannelore Simoens explains why the House must reclaim the illegal pension extras
“I do not leave country to extremes”
The Grand Poll showed last week that a quarter of the Flemish people would vote for Vlaams Belang at this time. When asked who the Fleming feels best represented by, De Croo only scores fourth – after Bart De Wever (N-VA), Conner Rousseau (Vooruit) and Tom Van Grieken (Vlaams Belang).
The prime minister says he is just more motivated by the success of the extreme right and left. “I will not leave our country to Vlaams Belang and the Labor Party. That would push our country into the abyss economically and I will not let that happen,” it sounded determined.
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