On Wednesday, the Ministry of Social Security announced that since the launch of schwätztmat.lu, a website designed for Luxembourg residents to share their opinions on upcoming pension reform, approximately 2,200 users have accessed the site, with around 500 individuals leaving comments or proposals. Minister of Social Security Martine Deprez noted that some of the most frequently discussed topics include the potential increase or decrease of social contributions and the contribution cap.
Users have also raised concerns about the retirement age, particularly for individuals engaged in physically demanding jobs. Other topics include the overall fairness of the pension system, the option to retroactively “purchase” contribution years, and the need to increase the minimum pension while introducing new maximum pension caps.
Additionally, some users have suggested establishing a unified pension regime that would encompass civil servants, public employees, and private sector workers without distinctions. Other proposals relate to the impact of years spent in higher education and the role of private supplementary insurance schemes. The Ministry has opted not to publish individual submissions, as it did not seek permission from the authors. It is therefore currently not possible to respond to individual proposals.
In related news, MP Marc Spautz of the Christian Social People’s Party (CSV) has been appointed president of the Parliamentary Committee for Health and Social Security, succeeding the late CSV MP Max Hengel, who passed away earlier this summer.
Minister Deprez has remained cautious about indicating the government’s position on potential pension reform. However, on Wednesday morning, she discussed the possibility of outsourcing the administrative costs of the National Pension Insurance Fund (CNAP) to the state with MPs for the first time. This measure, which is supported by both employer representatives and trade unions, would provide CNAP with some flexibility by allowing its current income to cover expenses for a few additional years.
