Speaking at a youth event in Ovar on Saturday night, the minister said that “it is honest to tell the Portuguese that something is going to have to be done to ensure the sustainability of the social security”.


“And that something may involve even reducing the payments to current pensioners. That would be to ensure a better balanced and more reasonable distribution of the burden among everyone, current pensioners, future pensioners, young people reaching the labour market. If that is the best answer, then that is what we must do”, Maria Luís Albuquerque said.


"Promising not to touch those who are already retired and that those who retire from now on have to pay everything is completely unfair", she added.


This week, the minister said the outline of the pension reform, where the government wants to make savings of €600 million, would have to wait until after the elections, and called on the opposition Socialists to join in the debate.