Madrid Rally Demands Wage Protection Before Spain Vote

Approximately 25,000 people gathered in Madrid on Saturday to defend the state pension scheme before next month's general election. Participants traveled from across the country to join the demonstration, which coincided with a wider wave of European protests addressing cost of living, school conditions, and alleged corruption.

The crowd marched from Atocha train station to Gran Via, one of the city's busiest streets. Banners held by demonstrators read, "protect and guarantee our pensions." Protesters expressed concern that the pension system could be weakened depending on the election outcome. They specifically called for pensions to remain indexed to inflation and for the elimination of the gender pension gap.

Emilio Delgado, deputy spokesperson for the left-wing party Mas Madrid in the Assembly of Madrid, voiced his support on X. He wrote, "no pension should be below the minimum wage. A lifetime of work deserves a dignified retirement."

The pension scheme faces pressure from an ageing population, a low birth rate, stagnant wages, and a declining ratio of workers to pensioners. Consequently, the system now relies heavily on state funding. The monthly pension bill reached a record high this year, totaling almost 14.5 billion euros, or $16.2 billion.

The issue has created a split between the two main political camps. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez accused the right-wing Popular Party (PP) of planning to weaken inflation-linked pension increases if it wins the election. He pledged to protect pensions if he remains in office and stated that the current system is affordable.

Alberto Nunez Feijoo, leader of the PP, responded on Monday. He stated that he would continue to raise pensions in line with inflation if his party wins the vote.