Andorra’s pension reform looks increasingly unlikely this parliamentary term amid political deadlock
Sources in the General Council see little prospect of approving changes before the election
Andorra’s pension reform looks increasingly unlikely to pass during the current parliamentary term. According to information provided to La Veu Lliure by sources in the General Council, the lack of political agreement and the limited time remaining before the next election make approval before the end of the term unlikely.
These sources suggest that parliamentary deadlock and the political cost of potentially unpopular measures are making it harder for negotiations to produce an agreement in the closing stages of the term. However, a postponement has not yet been definitively settled.
The possibility of leaving the reform until the next parliamentary term also features in RTVA’s coverage of this week’s interview with Xavier Espot.
Proposals have yet to produce an agreement
Discussions about the system’s future have included introducing a second pension pillar, raising the retirement age and increasing contributions.
These options would directly affect people’s working lives and the financial burden on contributors, but they have not generated sufficient consensus to move the overall reform forward.
The parliamentary sources believe the approaching election makes an agreement even harder to reach. Alongside disagreements over the measures themselves, there is little time left to negotiate them and complete the legislative process before the term ends.
The political cost of approving changes that could face public opposition is another factor these sources identify as an obstacle to progress. The reform therefore hinges on both differences between parliamentary parties and the electoral timetable.
An issue the next General Council could inherit
If talks remain deadlocked, pension reform would become one of the major unresolved issues for the next parliamentary term.
The newly elected General Council would have to resume discussions and secure a majority to determine which changes should be introduced and when.
For now, the sources consider it unlikely that there will be enough time to approve a reform during this term, despite the proposals already on the table.