A majority of clubs of deputies in the Croatian parliament on Wednesday supported the proposed changes to the law on entitlements and responsibilities of members of parliament which stipulate the reduction of their privileged pensions, with deputies of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) announcing that this strongest Opposition party would abstain from voting, describing the government-sponsored bill as political demagoguery.
Speaking on behalf of the HDZ club, Josip Salapic said that the Croatian public was more interested in the planned Value Added Tax increase and the latest fuel price hikes than state officials' pensions.
He accused the governing majority of undermining the dignity of the parliament by pillorying former MPs who he said represented citizens in a dignified manner even in the hardest times.
The HDZ parliamentarian said that his party was not against reducing the gap between the so-called privileged and ordinary pensions, however, he added, a discussion on this mater required a consensus and well-argumented explanation rather than fast-track procedure.
Labour Minister Mirando Mrsic, who earlier today presented the government-sponsored draft amendments, replied that the parliament should "put its own house in order first".
The enaction of the changes will annul higher pensions under privileged conditions for MPs, Constitutional Court judges and the Chief State Auditor, who will instead qualify for pensions under the same conditions applicable to other citizens, in accordance with the pension scheme legislation. As a result, the upper limit for their pensions will be HRK 8,872 for 40 years in service, instead of HRK 17,000.
The minister said that the scope of officials covered by the changes would be broadened later and that the government would move changes to that effect soon.
Damir Kajin, who applied for the privileged pension in accordance with the existing legislation, said that he also agreed that the gap between parliamentarians' pensions and pensions of other citizens should be closed. However, it is also necessary to protect the dignity of MPs, notably those who have spent 15, 20 or more years in parliament.
Igor Dragovan of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) said there should be no privileges that widened gaps between citizens.
Dinko Buric of the Croatian Democratic Party of Slavonia and Baranja (HDSSB) said that this regional party supported the proposed legislative changes.
He, however, warned that the state pension fund was burdened more by 1.1 billion kuna which should be annually allocated for pensions of fighters in World War II and which is 19 times higher than the sum necessary for the privileged pensions of MPs.
"I don't challenge the rights of WWII veterans, however their (current) number is strange to me," Buric said, adding that 66 years had passed since the end of the Second World War and Croatia still had 34,755 recipients of those pensions.
