The Vazrazhdane party says compulsory pension contributions should go into the state pension system (DOO) instead of private pension funds, according to a press release. Money people have already saved in their personal accounts should stay protected, it says.
The party wants a real change to the pension model. Vazrazhdane says citizens' interests must come before those of private funds and before the short-term budget sums of the ruling parties. It says the reform should guarantee security and a decent old age.
Moving future contributions does not mean savings will be taken away or spent on current state costs, the party says. This money comes from people's work. Vazrazhdane calls for full openness, clear rules and protection of the rights of every insured person.
People who pay into the system should be able to find out where their pension money goes, how it is managed and on what terms they will get it, the party also said.
Compulsory contributions have gone into the second pension pillar for more than two decades. Vazrazhdane says the results fall short of expectations and that a supplementary pension of around €20–30 does not guarantee a decent old age. The party wants an honest answer to the question of whether the system protects those who pay in, or keeps a model that lacks the security they expect.
The party says the change must serve people, not financial middlemen or the ruling parties, which make short-term decisions. Behind every account is a person, a worker or a parent who has paid contributions all their life, and they should not fear that their money will vanish in yet another state financial scheme. Vazrazhdane says a decent pension is a right, not a privilege, and protecting people's money is an unconditional commitment of the state.
Earlier the same day, the supervisory board of the National Social Security Institute (NOI) unanimously approved the DOO budget. After the meeting, social minister Natalia Efremova told journalists that a higher pension ceiling is planned from next year.
Next year the minimum and maximum unemployment benefit will also go up, as will maternity benefit for the second year. All pensions will rise from the middle of 2027, Efremova said.