The parties agreed to diversify social security financing, but disagree on the form

The parties represented in Parliament agreed this Monday on the need to diversify sources of funding for social security, but differed in form, ranging from highway revenues, a tax on large fortunes or the privatization of CGD.

The sustainability of social security and poverty were the first topics of debate on radio stations (Antena 1, Rádio Renascença, TSF and Observador) in the framework of the early legislative elections on March 10, the latter with representatives of the parties with seats in parliament, with the exception of Chega, whose leader is André Ventura was not present, citing election program reasons.

PS Secretary General Pedro Nuno Santos believes that the fight against poverty is one of the country’s biggest challenges, stressing the need to diversify sources of financing for social security, such as using revenues from new highway concessions or tolls.

“This proposal aims to move forward, as does the debate on a structural reform of the financing of social security, which does not depend solely on contributions from workers,” stressed the leader of the Socialist Party, accusing the Liberal Initiative (IL) of wanting to end fundamental sources of funding such as additional municipal property tax (IMI) or additional contribution from the banking sector.

PSD President Luis Montenegro, representing the Democratic Alliance (PSD, CDS-PP and PPM), who arrived late to the debate, said he does not intend to make any changes to the social security system in the next legislature. but rather to “leave open debate” for “in-depth discussion of funding sources.”

“Today we have a government that ensures sustainability in social security and that sustainability has been achieved in social security in recent years and in the AD program we envisage the opportunity to correct this situation in the coming years. which is very controversial,” Montenegro said.

Without making a specific proposal, the PSD leader rejected IL’s proposal to use proceeds from the privatization of Caixa Geral de Depósitos (CGD), but did not rule out the use of highway revenues, considering, however, that this would not be the factor that would prevail in ensuring the sustainability of this system.

Previously, IL leader Rui Rocha believed that one cannot talk about sustainability when a person aged 50 expects a 50% loss of income upon retirement, and defended “the possibility of people in the labor market, in addition to contributing to reforms, they also begin to accumulate your savings.”

For Bloc de Esquerda (BE), the goal of IL is “not to protect people” but rather to “bring one more business into the financial markets”, which would have “catastrophic” consequences, illustrating the short-lived Liberal Liz government. Tracks in the United Kingdom, whose instability caused by financial markets had consequences for pension funds.

BE Coordinator Mariana Mortagua believed that guaranteeing the sustainability of Social Security was “certainly not possible by cutting the IRS to the highest salaries” and proposed a tax on large fortunes.

The general secretary of the PKP, representing the CDU (PCP and PEV), insisted that the solution was to increase salaries, pensions and pensions “to improve living conditions and contributions to the social security system.”

“This is not about transferring money that belongs to work, to workers, to the private sector. We propose diversification of welfare sources, but this has nothing to do with sustainability, it has everything to do with equity. Social security money is Labor money – it is a form of wealth redistribution,” emphasized Paulo Raimundo.

On the PAN side, Ines Souza Real also criticized IL’s proposal to use the proceeds from the privatization of the CGD, recalling that the only foundation that continues to be private is the Foundation of Lawyers and Advocates, pointing out the problems it faces in terms of protection during maternity or illness , as well as proposing its integration into the state system.

Finally, Rui Tavares from Livre congratulated the choice of radio stations for the first debate topic, which was excluded from the previous ones, and defended the creation of a so-called “social inheritance” that would guarantee 5,000 euros per child and a tax on large inheritances exceeding one million euros .