The Minister of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration, Elma Saiz, accused the Popular Party and Vox this Thursday of intending to "privatize" and "cut" the public pension system, emphasizing that currently it is "sustainable, balanced, equitable, and robust".
"The first thing I would demand is to speak with rigor and responsibility about a public system that is not only the result of dialogue but is also agreed upon with Europe," Saiz pointed out before inaugurating the Pension Forum 2026, when questioned about the words of the PP spokesperson in Congress, Ester Muñoz, who on Tuesday predicted that the pension system is going to "burst". The minister also highlighted that the Spanish model has the evaluation of the Independent Authority for Fiscal Responsibility (AIReF) and other independent bodies that have supported it.
Saiz contrasted the Executive's strategy with that of the PP, recalling that the popular party voted against the revaluation of pensions. She recalled that in 2021 they opposed the law that guarantees the updating of benefits according to the CPI and criticized that, when they were in power, pensions were barely increased by 0.25%. When asked if the Government will increase pensions during the electoral campaign, she defended the "coherence" of the Executive with the revaluation, which she linked to a commitment to "social justice".
"Every time they have had the opportunity to position themselves regarding the revaluation, they have voted no," Saiz reiterated, accusing the PP of maintaining an incoherent stance and again pointing out that their proposal, along with that of Vox, involves "privatizing and cutting".
The pension fund and labor reform
In relation to the Social Security Reserve Fund, the known pension piggy bank, the minister defended its recent evolution. She argued that the PP left it "practically at zero," with 5 billion euros, while the current Government expects it to reach 20 billion euros by the end of this fiscal year. She also highlighted the affiliation data to Social Security, which places the number of contributors at 22.4 million.
Saiz has also claimed the effect of the labor reform, approved despite the vote against it by the PP, and the impact of the increase in the minimum interprofessional wage (SMI), which has risen by 66% in recent years. Looking to 2050, when the retirement of the 'baby boom' generation will be completed, he has insisted that it will be essential to strengthen income through job creation, social dialogue, and the reforms that arise from the recommendations of the Toledo Pact.