Jan Jambon: “Keeping pensions affordable for our children”

In an in-depth interview with VTM Nieuws, Pension Minister Jan Jambon responded to the controversy surrounding the recent pension reform. He firmly rejected claims that the measures specifically target women and stressed the urgent need to safeguard our pension system for the future.

Not a fight against women, but for sustainability

Jan Jambon pushed back against criticism suggesting he wants to force women into full-time work, calling it a deliberate misrepresentation: “Of course that affected me, especially because I’m being portrayed unfairly. As if I’m saying women should be obliged to work full-time. Nothing could be further from the truth.”

“What is true, however, is that our pension system risks becoming unaffordable. That’s why we’re introducing reforms that will change certain rules. Within that framework, people—both men and women—will have to make choices.”

According to Jambon, the reform is driven by a clear demographic reality. The balance between workers and retirees is under increasing pressure: “In the 1960s, four working people paid for one pension. Today, it’s down to three. If we do nothing, it will drop to just two by 2070. That makes the system unsustainable. Yes, people will have to work a bit longer.”

Respect for personal choices

Jambon emphasized that individuals remain free to make their own life choices, while also pointing to the government’s responsibility toward future generations: “I’m being portrayed as someone who judges women who chose to work part-time to care for their children. But my own mother did that. My ex-wife did too, and so does my current wife. People should be free to make their own choices in life, and the government shouldn’t interfere.”

“At the same time, it’s our responsibility to ensure that our children and grandchildren can still count on a decent pension. As a society, we need to reconcile those two realities.”

Solidarity remains the foundation

While the reform places greater emphasis on actual working periods, Jambon stressed that the solidarity component of the system remains firmly intact. Periods such as caregiving leave, parental leave, informal care, illness, and temporary unemployment will still count as worked time.

On the so-called “pension penalty,” Jambon was clear: anyone working at least half-time has nothing to worry about.

“I believe pensions should be linked to actual time worked. But there’s also a strong solidarity component. A pension system isn’t just a simple ‘you pay in this much, you get back that much’ model—it’s built on solidarity. That’s why we say: working half-time is sufficient. Care leave, temporary unemployment, and illness will all be taken into account.”

Facing reality in a changing society

Jambon acknowledged concerns about changing the rules mid-career, but pointed to broader societal and budgetary pressures: “Pensions are based on careers spanning 45 years. That would mean we couldn’t change anything in the system for 45 years, even though society itself evolves significantly over that time. Today, we face a massive budgetary challenge, with ageing costs rising sharply. Many of the measures take accrued rights into account.”

“But it comes down to a choice: either we ensure the pension system remains affordable, or we freeze everything for 45 years. I believe we’ve struck the right balance.”

Data from a 2023 sample also suggests the impact is limited for many: 77% of people taking early retirement would not be affected by the penalty at all. And among those who are, a large share could still avoid it by working just a few months longer.