International comparisons
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The financial and economic crisis and pension systems: International experiences
There has been much discussion in the British general and specialised media over the last year on the adverse consequences of the economic and financial crisis on the British pension system. It should come as no surprise that the crisis has also adversely affected pension systems in most other countries too. This paper contributes to the current debate on pensions in the UK by discussing how
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Two steps forward, one step back: Germany’s renewed debate about raising the state pension age
- In Germany, previous grand coalition legislated for increase in state pension age from 65 years now to 67 years by 2029 to deal with challenges arising from population ageing.
- Coming out of recession, the issue has returned to the headlines, with parts of the Social Democrats, now in opposition, demanding a policy u-turn.
- Episode is interesting for other countries too
The EU Commission’s Green Paper on Pensions goes beyond funding requirements
On July 7th the European Commission published its long awaited (and partly previously leaked) Green Paper Towards adequate, sustainable and safe European pension systems. Emerging gradually out of the deepest economic and financial crisis in living memory, the European Commission considered it timely to urge for a new public debate on the future of pensions. The European
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Public sector pensions: Rationale and international experiences
This paper is about public sector pensions, an issue that has become increasingly contentious in a number of countries in recent years, including in the United Kingdom. In the UK the public debate has focussed on the perceived generosity of these pensions, which, it is often claimed, contrasts with the pension promises made in the private sector. This paper does not attempt to answer whether
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