Pensioners from various autonomous communities have gathered this Saturday in Madrid to demand sufficient pensions, salary increases, and real access to affordable housing. The protest, organized by the State Coordinator for the Defense of the Public Pension System (Coespe), also included the presence of the tenants' union.
According to data from the Government Delegation in Madrid, 25,000 people attended the march, while the organizing groups have raised the attendance figure to 50,000.
Among the main demands is a 6% increase in pensions for 2027, along with the defense of the public pension system and opposition to any advance towards its privatization.
The mobilization also included the Confederation of Tenants' Unions, which emphasizes the importance of articulating a joint response from pensioners and workers in the face of rising living costs and increasing obstacles to accessing housing.
The organization has warned that the widespread rise in prices is "devouring the incomes of millions of people" and has demanded increases in pensions and salaries that allow for the recovery of purchasing power lost in recent years.
Furthermore, it has highlighted that the housing crisis also affects older people, especially those who live in rental housing or financially support family members. For this reason, it insists that the difficulties in making ends meet do not respond to a clash between generations, but rather require policies that ensure decent living conditions for the entire population.
The state spokesperson for Coespe, Damián Rodríguez, has expressed his concern for the future of the pension system after the general elections on November 29. "Pensions are becoming lower every day in relation to the cost of living, and it shows in our homes," he stated.
Under slogans and banners in defense of public pensions, attendees displayed messages such as "Increase in salaries and pensions with real CPI" and "Protect public pensions," thus demanding the protection of the public system and the recovery of lost purchasing power.
The protesters have also called for concrete measures to ensure the sustainability of the public pension system and have demanded that the minimum benefits be equal to the minimum interprofessional wage (SMI) and be adjusted to the real cost of living.
Likewise, they have demanded the immediate implementation of a public audit of the system, understanding that there are "many miserable pensions," and have called on all parties with parliamentary representation to safeguard public pensions, just over a month before the electoral date of November 29.