Pensions must be cut” – The opposition criticized the government for cutting pensions – 2024-04-12 15:31:13

SDP member of parliament Kimmo Kiljunen opened the pension debate in the parliament’s question hour, where the opposition demanded answers from the Minister of Finance Riikka Purra (ps) about how pensions are being cut in the framework crisis. JOEL MAISALMI

The pension debate was also heated during the parliament’s question hour on Thursday. The opposition demanded the finance minister From Riikka Purra (ps) answers to why pensioners are cut and how to cut.

Petteri Orpon The (kok) government will meet at the beginning of next week to decide on the three billion euro cuts. Purra said in an interview with Helsingin Sanomat that pensions also need to be cut.

– Has the jacket turned around? The government program promised that pensions would not be affected, and we have heard the same from the government until today. Dear Minister Purra, are your scissors now about to strike old-age pensions, i.e. occupational pensions, the SDP MP who opened the pension debate Kimmo Kiljunen asked.

Kiljunen reminded that 98 percent of all people over the age of 65 receive an earnings-related pension.

– I read to my horror: Minister Purra has to cut your news about pensions in the Helsingin news. You haven’t told the Parliament about it, but now unexpectedly to the media.

Kiljunen said that the poverty line defined by the EU is 1,350 euros per month in Finland. According to him, one third of pensioners, almost half a million people, are currently living below the poverty line.

– Minister Purra, are you proposing cutting pensions, Kiljunen asked another clear question.

Pensioners are very different

Purra says that most of the taxpayers’ money goes to the war, welfare areas, social security and pensions.

– Pensioners are not a monolith. There are approximately 1.7 million pensioners in Finland, and there are very different types of pensioners. I don’t see any possibility that actions are targeted at the smallest pensions, Purra answered.

Kiljunen reminded that the index freezing of housing allowance already punished the lowest-income pensioners. He continued that at the same time the medicine ceiling has been increased, access to a doctor has been slowed down by freezing the treatment guarantee, healthcare customer fees are being increased and the hospital network is being trimmed.

– You know that elderly people spend a relatively larger part of their income on health care than anyone else. Do you have the heart to propose cutting pensions on top of all this, Kiljunen asked.

According to Purra, he doesn’t need to list the difficult decisions that the government has to make. Instead, Purra wanted to listen to the measures that the opposition is ready to take, so that pensions can also be paid in the future and citizens who cannot do it themselves can be taken care of.

The center also opposes

Chairman of the SDP parliamentary group Antti Lindtman immediately offered Purra options. He asked if it makes sense to increase the Kela compensation for private health care when we are already short of money. Lindtman also asked whether it makes sense to make tax solutions that significantly weaken the public finances, such as tax reductions for the minister’s income category.

Lindtman repeated Kiljunen’s question, whether we are cutting pensions.

Purra reminded that figures have been brought to his desk, according to which Finland, as the only country in the EU, would be forced into a deficit procedure if nothing is done about the economy. Therefore, according to Purra, the government has had to gut the entire budget book.

Purra said many times that he can’t say anything about the details regarding pensions, but they will be decided in next week’s framework meeting.

The center Mikko Savola also wondered about pension cuts.

– The center considers it necessary to put the public finances in order, but we would not cut pensions like the government. We would not siphon pension money into the state budget.

Greens can be cut from pensions

Purra said that politicians do not like to interfere with pensions because they affect such a large group of voters. According to him, one group in society cannot be left out in savings.

Among the opposition parties, the Greens have also supported cutting pensions as an alternative to cutting young people. Chairman of the Green parliamentary group Atte Harjanten however, care must be taken to ensure that pensioner poverty does not deepen.