Diliagka The Legality of Public Pension Reforms in Times of Financial Crisis

The Case of Greece
1. Auflage 2018
ISBN: 978-3-8452-9157-4
Verlag: Nomos
Format: PDF
Kopierschutz: Adobe DRM (»Systemvoraussetzungen)

E-Book, Englisch, Band 69, 306 Seiten, Format (B × H): 153 mm x 227 mm

Reihe: Studien aus dem Max-Planck-Institut für Sozialrecht und Sozialpolitik

The first reactions to the Greek financial crisis were pension reforms and reductions. The aim of this book is to assess the legal implications of the reductions to pension benefits, proposing a legal framework in which pensioners are able to raise legal claims in court. The book gives account of the background regarding the factors that necessitated pension reforms prior to and after the fiscal crisis. Furthermore, it describes the Greek pension reforms and reductions which were undertaken progressively by the Greek Parliament from the beginning of the crisis until the year 2012. Finally, it examines the legality of the public pension reforms and reductions in old-age pension benefits with the Greek Constitution and with international law. The assessment is achieved using the principle of proportionality as a balancing concept.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Diliagka, Dafni

Fachgebiete

• Rechtswissenschaften Ausländisches Recht Westeuropa, Südeuropa
• Rechtswissenschaften Ausländisches Recht Mittel- und Osteuropa, Russland

Inhaltsverzeichnis

1;Cover;1
2; Introduction;15
2.1; A. Background;15
2.2; B. The Subject-Matter of the Book;16
2.2.1; I. Aim of the Book;17
2.2.2; II. Legal Research Questions;18
2.2.3; III. Methodology;21
2.2.4; IV. Progression of the Argument;22
3; Chapter One: The Influences of the Pension Reforms 2010-2012;26
3.1; A. The Influences of the Pension Reforms Prior to the Financial Crisis;27
3.1.1; I. Normative Factors;31
3.1.1.1; 1. International Guidelines on Pension Reforms;31
3.1.1.2; 2. European Economic and Monetary Union;33
3.1.1.3; 3. Open Method of Co-Ordination;35
3.1.2; II. Factual Factors;38
3.1.2.1; 1. Financial Imbalances in the Greek Public Pension System;38
3.1.2.2; 2. Demographic Changes;41
3.2; B. The Influences of the Pension Reforms After the Financial Crisis;44
3.2.1; I. The Financial Crisis;44
3.2.2; II. The Conditionality of the Financial Facility Agreements;47
3.2.2.1; 1. The Content of the Financial Facility Agreements;47
3.2.2.2; 2. The IMF’ Policy of Conditionality;53
3.2.2.3; 3. The Legal Status of the Agreements and their Element of Conditionality;56
3.2.3; III. Concluding Remarks;61
4; Chapter Two: The Greek Public Pension System 2010-2012;64
4.1; A. Overview of the Greek Public Pension System;64
4.1.1; I. Horizontal Dimension – Personal Scope of Coverage;66
4.1.2; II. Vertical Dimension – Form and Function;68
4.2; B. Pension Reforms Affecting Prospective Pensioners;71
4.2.1; I. Safety-Net for Elderly;73
4.2.1.1; 1. Safety-Net Inside the Scope of the Pension System;73
4.2.1.1.1; a) Basic Pension;74
4.2.1.1.2; b) Social Solidarity Benefit (EKAS);76
4.2.1.2; 2. Safety-Net Outside the Scope of the Pension System;76
4.2.2; II. Proportional Pension;77
4.2.2.1; 1. Qualifying Conditions;77
4.2.2.1.1; a) Pension Age: Pre and Post Crisis;78
4.2.2.1.1.1; aa) Normal Pension Age;78
4.2.2.1.1.2; bb) Early Pension Age;80
4.2.2.1.1.3; cc) Late Pension Age;81
4.2.2.1.2; b) Pensionable Service;82
4.2.2.1.2.1; aa) Minimum Pensionable Service;82
4.2.2.1.2.2; bb) Full Pensionable Service;83
4.2.2.1.2.3; cc) Recognition of Notional Insured Period;83
4.2.2.2; 2. Financing;84
4.2.3; III. Supplementary Old-Age Pension Benefits;88
4.2.3.1; 1. Qualifying Conditions;90
4.2.3.2; 2. Objective and Calculation Method;90
4.2.4; IV. Further Regulations;92
4.2.4.1; 1. Arduous and Unhygienic Professions;92
4.2.4.2; 2. Invalidity Pension;94
4.2.4.3; 3. Survivor’s Pension;96
4.2.4.4; 4. Employment of Pensioners;98
4.3; C. Pension Reforms Affecting Current Pensioners;98
4.4; D. Concluding Remarks;103
5; Chapter Three: The Protection of Pensioners’ Existing and Future Legal Positions;106
5.1; A. Legal Provisions Protecting the Right to Old-Age Pension Benefits;107
5.1.1; I. The Right to Property;107
5.1.1.1; 1. Protection of Allocated Pension Benefits;109
5.1.1.2; 2. Protection of Pension Benefits to be Allocated in the Future;112
5.1.2; II. The Principle of Legitimate Expectations (Protection of Confidence);117
5.1.3; III. Equality and Non-Discrimination;121
5.1.3.1; 1. The Right to Equality;121
5.1.3.2; 2. The Principle of Non-Discrimination;124
5.1.4; IV. The Right to Social Security;127
5.1.4.1; 1. The Right to Social Security under International Law;127
5.1.4.1.1; a) The International Treaties (A Normative Description);128
5.1.4.1.1.1; aa) Universal Declaration of Human Rights;128
5.1.4.1.1.2; bb) International Covenant of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights;128
5.1.4.1.1.3; cc) European Social Charter;130
5.1.4.1.1.4; dd) European Code of Social Security;131
5.1.4.1.1.5; ee) ILO Convention No. 102;133
5.1.4.1.2; b) The Right to Social Security as an Objective Right in International Law;135
5.1.4.2; 2. The Right to Social Security under the Greek Constitution;140
5.1.4.2.1; a) The Constitutional Provisions;140
5.1.4.2.1.1; aa) The Right to Protection of Old-Age;140
5.1.4.2.1.2; bb) The Right to Social Insurance – Article 22(5);141
5.1.4.2.2; b) The Right to Social Security as an Objective Right;142
5.1.4.2.3; c) The Right to Social Security as a Subjective Right;143
5.2; B. Concluding Remarks;149
6; Chapter Four: The Public Interest in Times of Financial Crisis;151
6.1; A. Public Interest and the State Power;152
6.2; B. The Financial Crisis as a Public Interest;159
6.3; C. The Aims of the Public Pension Reforms;163
6.3.1; I. The Sustainability of the Public Pension System;163
6.3.2; II. The Fiscal Interests of the State;168
6.3.3; III. The Proper Functioning of the EMU;178
6.4; D. Concluding Remarks;182
7; Chapter Five: The Principle of Proportionality as a Balancing Concept in Case-Studies of Pension Reforms;185
7.1; A. The Principle of Proportionality;186
7.2; B. Case-Studies;193
7.2.1; I. Reductions in Old-Age Pension Benefits;194
7.2.1.1; 1. Reductions in Current Pensioners’ Pension Benefits;194
7.2.1.1.1; a) Application of the Right to Property;195
7.2.1.1.2; b) Reviewing the Proportionality of Pension Reductions;196
7.2.1.1.2.1; aa) Suitability;197
7.2.1.1.2.2; bb) Necessity;202
7.2.1.1.2.3; cc) Proportionality in a Narrow Sense;205
7.2.1.1.3; c) Respecting the Principle of Legitimate Expectations (Protection of Confidence);216
7.2.1.1.4; d) Respecting the Principle of Equal Contribution to Public Charges;221
7.2.1.2; 2. Reductions in Prospective Pensioners‘ Pension Benefits;224
7.2.1.2.1; a) The Increasing of Retirement Age as a Restrictive Measure;225
7.2.1.2.2; b) Do Prospective Pensioners have Legitimate Expectations that Transitional Measures will be introduced?;228
7.2.2; II. Reduction in Old-Age Pension Benefits of High Value;232
7.2.2.1; 1. The Principle of Equivalence as an Aspect of the Right to Social Insurance;233
7.2.2.2; 2. The Principle of Social Solidarity as a Ground of Justification;235
7.2.2.3; 3. Proportional Balance between the Principles of Equivalence and Social Solidarity;237
7.2.3; III. Age Discrimination Cases;244
7.2.3.1; 1. Mandatory „Pre-Retirement“ Reserve Scheme;246
7.2.3.2; 2. Abolition of Bonuses for Pensioners Below the Age of 60;254
7.3; C. Outcomes of the Case-Studies;259
7.3.1; I. The Decisive Role of the Financial Crisis on Judicial Development;259
7.3.2; II. Enhancing the Right to Social Insurance;269
7.3.3; III. Limits on the Interference with Pensioner’s Rights;274
8; Conclusion;279
9; Bibliography;287
10; List of Documents;301