Changing Social Status of Pensioners and the Prospects of Pension Reform in the Czech Republic

The changing social status of pensioners is described and structured according to stylized periods. First, I identify the salient features of the communist regime that shifted pensioners to the margins of society. Second, I attempt to trace how the position of pensioners changed as a result of the democratic transition, which empowered pensioners as voters and which led to their rising relative income. Third, I review the recent debate about pension reform – which, as an unresolved issue, has entailed the maintenance of the status quo – and pensioners’ swing towards the left. Fourth, the possible impact of current reform proposals on the future income of pensioners are considered. In conclusion, the importance of bringing children back into the pension system and increasing the activity rate of older persons are stressed.