Pensions

There repeats even the satiety the idea of which the politicians not only must think about the next elections, but also about the next generations. So much it recurs, avenges or not to story, which has already turned into a topic.

In most of the democracies, the leaders are chosen for four years. And they are re-elected or revoked every four years. In some countries there even limits itself the possibility of presenting before itself to the reelection. But the society has problems – some of the most important, of the most structural, which determine the proper profile of the society - that can only be focused by the full-beam headlights, by temporary perspectives very superior to this period of four or enclosed of eight years.

All the governments have to appear and raise to the society problems and targets that they know that they will be reached finally and solved by other governments in the future; but that will never be able to be solved if they do not appear now. This is what, to my judgment, the creator of the famous phrase was meaning. To think about the next elections is legal and natural in democracy; to think about the next generations is part of the task of the leader, it is simply to expire with the duty.

The retirement at the age of 65 was established in Spain in the first decade of the XXth century. More than 100 years ago. In that moment, the average hope of life of the Spanish was 41 years.

To come to the 65 was an exceptional circumstance; very few were lucky. And those who were achieving it had – like average - a life of five or six more years. Very few were going so far as to receive the pension and were doing it during a little time. The cost for the society – even for a society paupérrima like that of that epoch - was small.

In the today Spain, the average life hope is about 80 years. When someone dies before the 65, it is said that “he died young”. The majority of the workpeople reaches easily the retirement age, and when they do it has also the reasonable hope to receive his pension for the long time: fifteen, twenty years or more.

This goes to more. The biggest have an increasing weight in our society, and his number will keep on growing in the next decades. It is anticipated that in the middle of this century almost one of the three Spanish will be major than 65 years.

Also, the living conditions have improved. And the sanitary resources have improved of spectacular form. What means that nó only many other they come at the retirement age, but the majority comes at this age in conditions much better than in the past: more healthy ones, more assets, more qualified in every respect.

And also, the economic and technological transformation does that it diminishes the number of the works that need an important physical effort.

All this there are extraordinary successes of the Spanish society. There are the best achievements of our progress, of our economic and social development. 100 years later, the Spanish live through a lot of more time and much better: it has not better measured of the success of a country.

But any advance takes in his bosom the germ of new challenges. Today we have a citizens' enormous quantity that is made major in full health, which they might – and they would wish many - to keep on being entirely active and productive. And that retire and receive his pension for many years.

We can come in a few years to a situation in which less than half of the society – assets - they have to support to another half – inactive for different reasons.

In the mid term, this is not sustainable. And it is not reasonable. We all know it. To deny it, to do as if the problem did not exist, the journalistic tomorrow holder will be able to solve us; but he supposes leaving those who avenge behind an unjust load and probably unbearable.

Today, the Social security in Spain does not have any problem of liquidity. But it will have it in the future if we do not do anything now. Those who are receiving today his pensions or next to retiring they do not have any worry motive. But those who are initiating or are in the middle of his labor life have right to which his future pensions are the same way guaranteed. And that only is possible with reforms like those that we start now.

Because also, in the last years we have walked in the opposite direction. While the society was aging, there has been generalized the practice of the earlier and earlier early retirement. In such a way that today the retirement middle age, in real terms, is clearly below 65 years that the law marks. To keep on sending to the retirement workpeople with little more than 50 years is out of the reality and out of the common sense, except very exceptional circumstances. With that also we are going to deal.

We have to fight against the today crisis. But also we have to be capable of preparing the possible crises of the future, especially those who are foreseeable. The measurements that we propose serve for two things. And on having presented them, having defended them and having extracted forward the only thing that we do, it is to expire with our duty.

It will be good for the next generations. But also, for surprise of some, perhaps it turns out that also it it is for the next elections. We will see.