25,000 people march in Madrid to defend state pensions — Al Jazeera

About 25,000 people in Madrid, Spain, took part in a march in support of the state pension system. Participants arrived from different regions of the country and marched from Atocha railway station to Gran Vía, Al Jazeera reports.

Demonstrators’ demands

The demonstrators demanded that pensions remain linked to inflation and that the gender gap in pension payments be eliminated. Some participants carried signs calling for pensions to be protected and guaranteed.

Emilio Delgado, deputy spokesperson for the left-wing Más Madrid party in the Madrid Assembly, said that no pension should be lower than the minimum wage. According to him, people who have worked their entire lives deserve a decent pension.

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Pension system under pressure

The march took place ahead of general elections scheduled for next month. Participants fear that, depending on the outcome of the vote, the state pension system could be significantly weakened.

The system is under pressure from an aging population, a low birth rate, wage stagnation and a declining ratio of workers to pensioners. This year, Spain’s monthly pension spending reached a record nearly €14.5 billion.

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez accused the right-wing People’s Party of intending to weaken the link between pension payments and inflation if it wins the election. People’s Party leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo said his party would continue raising pensions in line with inflation if it wins the vote.