Tense interview between Victoria Rodríguez and Fernando Pereira about pension reform

Ferdinand Pereira visited this mouth is mine (Teledoce) to account for the opposite view of the Broad Front against the social security reform project that the government presented to the Legislative Power. Throughout the interview, several short circuits were generated with the driver victoria rodriguezwho repeatedly called on him to focus on reform and not “election campaign.”

“Those who are going to pay for this reform are the workers,” argued the president of the Broad Front and considered that the logic of the project is to finance the system.

“It’s a look,” Rodríguez told him and put on the table the situation of people who work in the black after age 60 because “pensions are very meager.”

“They are very lean but they are 70% of what they were in 2004 in real values,” said Pereira and the driver interrupted: “Fine, but let’s talk about the future.”

However, the president of the Broad Front listed social indicators that would have improved during the 15 years of government of the left. Pereira, with all due respect.Are you campaigning for elections or did you come to talk about pension reform? Let’s talk specifically about this project,” Rodríguez told him.

“Let me give my opinion,” Pereira replied then. “My opinion is that when there is a reform that does not take into account social protectiongender inequity, the age of people when retiring according to the profession, the difficulties of the socio-cultural contexts and fundamentally in childhood, the lack of a care system that falls on women, it is not trying to social protection, but simply how the accounts are balanced,” he added.

Pereira also estimated that in recent years there has been an increase in poverty, but Victoria Rodríguez came to the crossroads. “What you are saying is partially true.. It is not including the pandemic and a lot of other elements,” she told him, insisting on focusing the debate on pension reform.

“Don’t go off the rails,” the driver told him. “I’m talking about the tree and you ask me about the branch. And I’m also going to talk about the branch,” replied the political leader and insisted on a reform that falls “on the back of the workers.”

“As it has always been,” Rodriguez said. “What did the Broad Front do in 15 years to change that situation?“, I ask.

Pereira replied that the left-wing party undertook a reform in 2008 of social security that included flexibility in the retirement age for women with children and also “lowered the age to retire from 35 to 30 years.” She also mentioned reforms in the police, banking, notary and military coffers.

Then the driver replied: “And did the financing of who pays all that change? No. It’s still the same formula… The structure of social security remains the same.”

Later, the communicator gave the example of a domestic worker who can retire at 60 and not continue working. “I don’t imagine her working at 65 either,” Pereira replied.

“I see people sleeping here on the street. Is it desirable? No. That is social protection. Who is taking care of these people?” the FA president later said.

And once again, Victoria Rodríguez called for a focus on reform. “It mixes things up, Pereira. I’m talking about raising the retirement age, what does it have to do with the person who is sleeping on the street?”

Although the exchange was always kept on cordial terms, the driver decided to send the batch and on her return, the rest of the panelists were opened to debate.