Over a Third of Croatian Pensioners Live in Poverty, Party Warns

The Pensioners' Party (SU) has declared its full support for the upcoming Law on Older Persons, while simultaneously pressing the government for rigorous adherence to the Declaration on Older Persons. The party emphasized that a significant 36 percent of Croatian pensioners are living in poverty, a figure supported by findings from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

SU pointed to the OECD report "Improving Long-Term Care in Croatia," which underscores the insufficient care provided to pensioners. The report indicates that Croatia offers lower public social support coverage compared to other EU nations. The party also noted Croatia's lack of specific legislation for long-term care, making the new law essential. They urged Prime Minister Andrej Plenković and Minister Alen Ružić to recognize that joining the OECD is meaningless for pensioners if their living standards and access to affordable, quality long-term care services do not improve.

The party further advocated for the establishment of a special ombudsman for the elderly, despite Croatia already having a public ombudsman who analyzes and recommends improvements for the elderly's situation. SU believes the Law on Older Persons will only be an effective tool if it includes concrete sanctions for violations of the rights of older citizens. It must clearly define responsibilities to ensure that elderly citizens can live with dignity in all aspects of their lives and that any infringement of their human rights is penalized.

Acknowledging the complexity and time involved in drafting legislation, SU reminded Minister Ružić that he is also due to submit a report to the Croatian Parliament by the end of the year on the implementation of the Declaration on Older Persons. The party stressed that it is high time to begin realizing at least some of the recommendations outlined in the declaration.

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Premijer Andrej Plenković i ministar Alen Ružić moraju biti svjesni da je ulazak u OECD besmislen za umirovljenike ako neće imati bolji životni standard i pristup cjenovno prihvatljivim i kvalitetnim uslugama dugotrajne skrbi iz načela 18. Europskog stupa socijalnih prava.