Pensions: the hypocrisy of the State – Echoes

Pensions: the hypocrisy of the State – Echoes

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It is a fact heard : Supplemental Pension Plans (Arrco-Agirc) will have to take drastic measures to avoid bankruptcy. The government shows its confidence in the ability of social partners, managers of these plans, to take the necessary decisions. In finding that no adjustment is required by 2017 for the basic plan (CNAV), the necessary choices have been made. But this is not true. And there is a great hypocrisy on the part of the State to return the responsibilities Arrco-Agirc. For if the supplemental plans are in such a situation, it is largely linked to the decisions of previous governments. And left for refusing the obstacle whenever she was in power, has a historic responsibility in this regard.

The Fillon Act of 2003 and the 2010 reform Sarkozy produce their effects, but they were not far enough and came too late. As emphasized by the Court of Auditors, managers Arrco-Agirc, themselves, did not hesitate to take drastic action in the 1990s and again in the 2000s, to generate significant surpluses: 60 billion between 1998 and 2008, when the basic plan already accumulated $ 8 billion in debt. The performance of these plans (pension benefits to premiums ratio) has fallen in twenty years. But Arrco-Agirc never had all the leverage in hand, especially, critical of the contribution period and the statutory retirement age, these decisions are considered part of the government and Parliament. But what did the latter since 2012? They voted measures facilitating departures to 60 years that block the accounts of the Arrco-Agirc and decided to increases in levies (contributions, social package) for the benefit of the CNAV, leaving little leeway fo r supplementary schemes to do the same …

Didier Migaud demonstrates that, therefore, there is no choice but to postpone one way or another the retirement age. Manuel Valls could therefore see the file back to him boomerang: where is the consistency in maintaining statutory retirement age to 62 years if it does not entitle an acceptable supplemental retirement? Managers, for whom complementary stage is essential, would also be heavily penalized. The government did anyway not finished with pensions because if the latest forecast of the Retirement Guidance Council could appear less alarmist, they are based on overly optimistic assumptions, especially in the short term. And it will not take 2017 for realizing it.