“The pensioners are very important when the elections are coming up, but when the elections are over, everyone is happy if they just stay quiet,” said Pavel Rupar, member of the Voice of Pensioners of Slovenia, criticising the current situation of pensioners. He points out that if we do not regulate pensions and the status of pensioners today, it will be those who are still working that will suffer from it the most. “Every government comes up with a new formula, always with subtractions and divisions, which are the two most important functions of reducing pensions. Let’s change that to addition and multiplication. This is what the people deserve – after all, this is their money.”
A nationwide protest of Slovenian pensioners will take place on the 1st of February at 3 p.m. at Ljubljana’s Republic Square. The protest is organised by the civic initiative The Voice of Pensioners of Slovenia (Glas upokojencev Slovenije), which wants to let the government of Robert Golob know that we live in a country where many people are struggling to survive. Many pensioners have a monthly pension of only 450 euros, and some get even less.
Pavel Rupar recently said on an episode of the show “Arena” that he had not found anyone who would be very committed to pensioners thus far. “I honestly came to this because protests and strikes have been announced by different groups of employees. I have not seen anyone paying much attention to the pensioners’ meagre pensions. I tried to get in touch with Mr Janez Sušnik from the Slovenian Federation of Pensioners Associations (Zveza društev upokojencev Slovenije – ZDUS), but I was unsuccessful. I just figured that he was still hibernating. We invited him to a dialogue, to make a pensioners’ assembly together, to be heard by the government,” he explained, adding that the pensioners had not been heard at all. They are waiting for someone to speak up for them, but nothing ever happens.
The Voice of Pensioners of Slovenia also invited non-governmental organisations to join them. “I am inviting Jenull and the civic initiative to join us, to help pensioners, and to keep politics away from people’s initiatives,” said Rupar, who wants people to come to the protest with Slovenian flags, not with any political symbols. However, Jenull had made the accusation that this case was a perverse attempt to abuse pensioners and civil society, and he was even warning people not to come to the protest, to which Rupar said that these accusations were clearly not true.
“There is no party behind me, this is about pensioners”
“I don’t get anything from the pensioners. I am not retired yet. We have formed this group only because there have been countless letters written about how pensioners are deprived, how they have a hard life, and how nobody cares about them. We said, let us go and tell the government that pensioners are still very much alive. Initiatives were launched, we began getting organised, and we decided to hold this protest on the 1st of February at 3 p.m. in front of the National Assembly of the Republic of Slovenia. I would be happy if the pensioners’ organisations from any of the committees, municipalities, or political parties’ committees would join us.” Some people claim that the Slovenian Democratic Party (Slovenska demokratska stranka – SDS) is behind this protest, but Rupar denied the accusation. “No, there is no SDS, no party behind me.” When asked if the left was also invited, he answered in the affirmative: “I don’t work for politics, this is for the pensioners.”
Given that the Prime Minister had come to the protest that was organised because of the situation in the healthcare sector, TV show host Igor Pirkovič asked Rupar if the Prime Minister was also welcome at this rally. “He should come and tell us why the promises were left behind, forgotten in the run-up to the elections. Why people are living in poverty. I will be happy if the Prime Minister decides to come. We will be respectful and dignified. If he does anything for pensioners, we have won,” he explained. He stressed that they are in favour of an immediate increase of all pensions which are lower than 1000.00 euros for 20 percent, and of pensions between 1000.00 euros and 1,500.00 euros for 15 percent, setting the lowest possible monthly pensions – for farmers and for disabled people – at 750.00 euros, which should be adjusted monthly with inflation every two months, and the average pension should amount to 75 percent of the average wage in Slovenia. They also advocate the inclusion of a 13th pension and a compulsory annual supplement of one pensioner’s pension in the Constitution.
“If only they knew what people write to me on a daily basis. It is enough to make you cry every day.”
Asked if these were realistic demands, Rupar replied that they, of course, were. “If they got 50 million euros for the recapitalisation of the Slovenian Power Plant Holding, 200 million for the so-called famous managers from the GEN-I energy company, then they will find the money for the pensioners, too. The money that the pensioners have been paying in for years and years has to be somewhere. If that money has been spent on other things, that is none of the pensioners’ business. The pensioners counted on and hoped that they would work all their lives, and when they retired, they would live in peace. And now they are wondering how the result of their work can amount zero,” he explained, adding that he knows the stories from the field. He is concerned that Mr Sušnik, the Minister, Jenull and others do not know these stories, because they do not go around, talking to people. “If only they knew what people write to me on a daily basis. It is enough to make you cry every day. They write to me and say that they want to come to the protest, but do not have enough money for the bus fare. I remind them that it is free, that the train is free for them, too. If we are going to stand together, regardless of the party, regardless of who you voted for, I really do not care. The pensioners are what matters. You will not be there to listen to Rupar’s speech, and not because you support a party – this is about you. We are the voice of the people, the voice of pensioners,” Rupar stressed.
Rupar invites people to support their fathers and mothers at the protest
Rupar explained that currently, neither the President of the Slovenian Federation of Pensioners Associations nor any other organisations are scheduled to come. He himself said that he does not need any political points, nor any electoral campaigns in order to do this. “It is about the pensioners starting to think for themselves. The pensioners are very important when the elections are coming up, but when the elections are over, everyone is happy if they just stay quiet,” he was critical. As for the 600 euros gross in the form of a bonus for judges and prosecutors, he says that the Voice of Pensioners supports it. They also support all strikes and demands by the other unions. “Please come support your fathers, and your mothers, too. You are still working; but the question is if your parents have enough or are they asking you for help so they can survive.” Rupar invited younger people to the protest, because they will come after them.
“If we regulate pensions and the status of pensioners today, it will be those who are still working that will benefit greatly from this. Every government comes up with a new formula, always with subtractions and divisions, which are the two most important functions of reducing pensions. Let’s change that to addition and multiplication. This is what people deserve – after all, this is their money. The people have been giving up part of their salary over many years,” he was clear, adding that a pension is not social aid, it is actually a handout. “If you go to the grocery store, you will see people who get social aid, coming to Slovenia, with full trolleys, and then our pensioners behind them, shamefully standing there with butter and three buns of bread in their hands. I think this is the silent majority, the ones who don’t dare do anything,” he concluded, inviting all those who care about the pensioners to the rally.
Sara Kovač
