About 25,000 rally in Madrid in support of Spain’s state pension scheme
As protests continue throughout Europe, prompted by a range of matters, including the cost of living, school conditions and alleged corruption, approximately 25, 000 individuals have gathered in the Spanish capital in backing of the state pension scheme.
As protests continue throughout Europe, prompted by a range of matters, including the cost of living, school conditions and alleged corruption, approximately 25, 000 individuals have gathered in the Spanish capital in backing of the state pension scheme.
Article outline
- What happened
- Official response
- What comes next
- Background
- The bottom line
Key points
- Emilio Delgado serves as the deputy spokesperson of the left-wing party Mas Madrid in the Assembly of Madrid.
- Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has accused the right-wing Popular Party (PP) of planning to weaken inflation-linked pension increases if it wins next month's election.
- Protesters marched from Atocha train station to the Gran Via, Madrid's busiest and most famous street.
- Nevertheless, leader Alberto Nunez Feijoo stated on Monday that he would continue to raise pensions in line with inflation if his party wins the vote.
- Protesters from nationwide marched through Madrid on Saturday before next month's general election.
As well as a declining ratio of workers to pensioners, the pressure on Spain's state pension scheme is being driven by a number of factors, including an ageing population, a low birth rate and wage stagnation.
Demonstrators are concerned that the state pension scheme could be significantly weakened depending on who wins next month's election. The country's monthly pension bill hit a record high this year of almost 14.5 billion euros ($16.2bn).
Notably, a number of of the demonstrators carried banners reading "protect and guarantee our pensions".
Emilio Delgado serves as the deputy spokesperson of the left-wing party Mas Madrid in the Assembly of Madrid. Posting on X, he remarked that "no pension should be below the minimum wage. A lifetime of work deserves a dignified retirement."
Protesters want pensions to remain indexed to inflation and are calling for the gender pension gap to be eliminated.
Sanchez has pledged to protect pensions if he remains in office and notes the current pension system is affordable.
Notably, the system has gradually become more reliant on state funding since of a growing number of pensioners and increases in monthly payments.
In short, about 25, 000 rally in Madrid in support of Spain's state pension scheme is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.
