Prime Minister Andrej Plenković announced in the Croatian Parliament that the annual addition to pensions will be seven euros per year of service. This represents an increase from the six euros of last year, a move he outlined while presenting the government's annual report.
According to the prime minister, the addition will amount to an average of 208 euros per pensioner, with 258 million euros allocated for the payment in December. Last year, the addition was paid to more than 1.2 million pensioners. Plenković linked today's announcement to an agreement with coalition partners, particularly the Croatian Pensioners' Party.
The president of the Pensioners' Block (BUZ), Milivoj Špika, assessed that Plenković had humiliated representatives of pensioners who participate in the work of the National Council for Pensioners and the Elderly, as well as pensioners in general. He stated that the prime minister had announced the amount of the annual addition, which had already been decided, without the participation of representatives who had advocated for a higher amount.
The Trade Union of Pensioners of Croatia (SUH) had proposed 12 euros per year of service, while the Croatian Pensioners' Association (CUP) proposed 10 euros. Representatives of the SUH, CUP, and HSU, along with the support of the Pensioners' Union, had been discussing for months, holding meetings and negotiating a joint solution.
Šp criticised the lack of reaction from the representatives of the SUH, the CUP, the HSU, and the Union after the announcement of the addition's amount. He stated that the representatives did not announce a break in cooperation with the authorities or a withdrawal from the working bodies. He pointed out that, given the previous behaviour of the CUP, the HSU, and the Union, he did not expect them to distance themselves from the HDZ.
