2011.05.15. 20:24
Scrapping early retirement is attack on private property, say Socialists
<p>Budapest, May 15 (MTI) - The governing Fidesz party s plans to create a legal opportunity to terminate pensions now paid to people under the official retirement age is an "attack against acquired rights and property", a member of the opposition Socialist Party s board told a press conference on Sunday.</p>
Lajos Korozs said that the planned amendment to the constitution, submitted to parliament on Friday, was "just like confiscating somebody s house, garden or car". The move could turn 500,000 pensioners into jobseekers, with no new jobs on the labour market, Korozs said.
Korozs said that the government was planning to cut pension spending by 88 billion forints (EUR 328m) in 2012 and by 117 billion forints (EUR 436m) in 2013, and insisted that the country was veering towards the Swedish pension model, which he called a "pension disaster".
Under Fidesz s proposal, pensions now paid to people under 62 would be reduced and replaced by a social subsidy, or terminated entirely to encourage those who can, to return to the labour market until they reach the age of retirement.
