By: Gal Kovač (Nova24tv.si)
After Labour Minister Luka Mesec stated in Tarča show that “pensions are purposefully waiting a little longer”, the time has obviously come for a remedial exam. He went to a consultation with the President of the Country, where they talked about current challenges in the field of care for the elderly, pension reform, and other things. The president of the SDS responded to the meeting, exposing the hypocrisy of the President and the Minister. For the Minister because of the changes to the law on long-term care, with which its implementation was postponed for a period of two years, and for the President of the Country because she supported the controversial changes to the law in the referendum.
“Where were all three of you when Golob’s government recklessly ran over long-term care for the elderly, Nataša Pirc Musar, Luka Mesec? Oh right, you all openly supported this shameful step. Today, they care about “current challenges” for the elderly. Faking ignorance,” wrote Janez Janša.
That it is some kind of media offensive that wants to prepare pensioners to forget the Minister’s words, and above all to discredit the pensioners’ movement, which is planning a new protest on March 31st in front of the National Assembly, is evidenced by the words of the President of the country after the consultation. She expressed her satisfaction that she was able to host “people who really know something about pensions and the necessary pension reform” in the presidential office. She then asserted that her doors will always be open to anyone who has been dealing with pensions “for more than two months.”
Despite the Minister’s words that “pensions are deliberately waiting a little longer”, the government is said to be coordinating the urgently needed pension reform. We do not know at this moment whether they have moved further from drawing timelines than with the other reforms. When the debate turned to interim measures, such as the protective supplement, the Minister promised for a month that the Ministry would look at what they could do in this area. According to him, the country should enter into a vicious circle with this measure. In the application for the care allowance, it is necessary to provide information about the children’s assets, which is why many pensioners did not submit the application because their children did not want to disclose information about their assets.
Otherwise, the Minister of Labour announced in front of the journalists a pension reform that will eliminate poverty among pensioners, and the representative of the Union of Pensioners thanked both of them, saying: “I am really satisfied that together we came to the conclusion that all those pensioners who receive really low pensions, to arrange or in some way correct the situation with a social security supplement.” But more important than the Minister’s announcement about the eradication of poverty among pensioners and the conclusions of the meeting that pensioners should be helped are the actual measures and actions, which, for the time being, are not visible. The fact that the group of meeting participants was unconvincing can also be judged by the responses from the Internet.
Pavel Rupar: Pensioners were laughed in their face again!
Pavel Rupar, the leader of the movement of pensioners who have had enough of empty promises, also believes that it was a truly cynical meeting. As he wrote, people are suffering, “the pensioners were laughed in their face again.” Yesterday’s meeting was nothing less than a shock, because not only was he not invited to it, but the President of the Country even declared that she does not intend to talk to those protesting for higher pensions. “Degrading and underestimating! And this is supposed to be the president for everyone,” Rupar wondered.
“The government has completely lost its compass in its wealth, it has no idea how the people live, someone has focused on his concubine and small animals, the President is convinced that she is the queen mother. She still lacks a diamond crown,” he wrote on Facebook.
Rupar also wrote that “if such humiliations and mockery of you pensioners are not a big enough reason for rebellion and protest, then there is no point in a difficult battle for life!!!”