Coalition parties table reforms to parliamentary pension system
The five coalition parties are tabling a number of reforms to the parliamentary statute in the Chamber on Wednesday. Under the reforms, retirement allowance and holiday pay will be reduced and the indexation of pensions will match that of the rest of the population.
The pension system for federal MPs will be aligned with that of civil servants, and holiday pay will be cut from 92 to 10 per cent of the reference salary. With the reform, pension calculations will be based on the average of the last 10 career years. From 2027, one year will be added each time for the calculation of pension rights.
The move follows criticism of the disproportionate impact of budget cuts. Industrial action across the country, including the latest national strike on Tuesday, have largely focused on the pension reforms included in the coalition agreement.
"What we ask of the people we should also apply to ourselves. No privileges for MPs"
“Within our majority, there is great consensus. What we ask of the people we should also apply to ourselves. No privileges for MPs,” said N-VA fraction leader Axel Ronse.
“I am counting on our proposal being unanimously approved at the Bureau of Parliament. [We are] doing what is necessary to save our social security. More than ever, we must lead by example ourselves.”
The retirement allowance will be limited to one year and will no longer count towards pension accrual. Allowances for special parliamentary functions, such as office membership and committee chairs, will be granted on the basis of actual attendance, rather than on a flat-rate basis.
The conditions for transitional benefits and widow’s pensions will also be tightened. Controls on the maximum pension will be strengthened and foreign pensions will be counted.
Indexation cap
Indexation of pensions will be capped for five years and will only apply three months after the index is exceeded, and there will be no indexation of the maximum pension ceiling.
“This is really a good thing and an important signal,” Vooruit MP Anja Vanrobaeys said. “If we demand efforts from working people, politicians should also look at themselves. That’s only fair: everyone has to make an effort, including politicians. Only in this way can we protect our purchasing power and keep our healthcare affordable for everyone.”
Demonstrators from the socialist union gather outside the Pensions Tower in Brussels to protest against the coalition's pension reform, 20 May 2025 © PHOTO BELPRESS
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