Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has announced a comprehensive set of economic policies aimed at improving citizens’ living standards, tackling the country’s housing crisis, and boosting the economy. The plan includes significant increases in the minimum wage and pensions, along with measures to address the rising cost of living and stimulate economic growth.
The Congress-led government in Himachal Pradesh has passed a bill to prevent disqualified MLAs from receiving pensions. The move comes after six Congress MLAs were disqualified for defying party orders during a Rajya Sabha election. The bill also addresses concerns about financial mismanagement by the previous BJP government.
The Conservative Party has unveiled a new policy aimed at protecting the income of pensioners, known as the ‘triple lock plus.’ This policy builds on the existing ‘triple lock,’ which guarantees that the state pension will increase by the higher of inflation, average wage growth, or 2.5% each year. The ‘plus’ element of the policy would ensure that pensioners receive a tax break that would keep their personal allowance above the level of the new state pension. This move has been praised by some, but has also faced criticism from those who argue that it is unsustainable in the long term.
Germany’s Cabinet has approved a 4.57% increase in retirees’ pensions, effective July 1st. This exceeds the current inflation rate of 2.2% and marks the first time since 2000 that pensions in Germany have outpaced inflation. The increase is driven by recent wage negotiations reflecting the rising cost of living. Germany has over 21 million retirees among its 84 million population.
