During the question period following the intervention by Minister Rosário Palma Ramalho, PS deputy Miguel Cabrita advocated for a permanent increase in pensions over bonuses and requested clarification on the government’s stance regarding the alleged intention of the European Commission to condition access to European funds on changes to pensions.
“The European Commission wants to reserve access to future European funds for countries that reform pensions to privatize parts of their systems. In an area solely managed by member states, this is interference and poses a systemic risk for all our pensions,” the deputy stated.
BE deputy Mariana Mortágua raised a similar concern, inquiring whether the Minister of Labor, Solidarity, and Social Security plans to “use part of the Portuguese pensions to feed speculative markets, financial markets, and the arms industry.”
In response, Rosário Palma Ramalho remarked, without specifying details, that the European Commission made a recommendation and assured that there is “nothing concerning the privatization” of the pension system.
Regarding pension increases, the minister stated that government estimates predict, in the worst-case scenario, that the lowest pensions will rise above inflation by 0.5% in 2026, according to the update formula.
Rosário Palma Ramalho confirmed that the government will increase pensions according to the law’s formula, but highlighted that the final calculation depends on GDP and inflation data that are not yet finalized.
“Currently, we can only provide estimates for the increase: in the best estimates, pensions up to 2 IAS [Indexante dos Apoios Sociais] will rise above inflation, and those between 2 IAS and 6 IAS will remain neutral.”
Isabel Mendes Lopes, parliamentary leader of Livre, accused the government of attempting to “further destabilize the labor market, facilitate dismissals, weaken workers’ power, promote job insecurity, and increase inequality” with the new labor package. She questioned the minister on why they “attack women’s breastfeeding rights” instead of discussing increased parental leave.
On this issue, the minister denied any attack on women or breastfeeding rights, advocating for “a calibration” as she believes the current regime “is not reasonable.”
“Without a time limit, a worker under this statute works six hours a day and receives payment for eight, (…) a week less per month and receives full pay. Maintaining this indefinitely is unreasonable, even in the context of breastfeeding. This is what we’re discussing, not an attack,” she argued, adding that Portugal “has the second most favorable regime in Europe,” only behind Italy.
The government proposes in the new labor package to limit work dispensation for breastfeeding up to the child’s two years.
Following criticism from Ricardo Cardoso, from Chega, regarding the predicted expenditure in the OE for the social insertion income (RSI) and calling for the cut of social supports for those “showing signs of wealth,” the minister asserted that there is a “very vigorous program to combat fraud in Social Security” against unjustified subsidy allocations.
Socialist Elza Pais also criticized an OE “devoid of humanist policies,” adding that it is a “callous document that doesn’t care for people or women’s rights.”
