Senior Parliament – this is how political education works
Parliament Vienna, Austria, 25.5.2016
70 older persons coming from political factions of Parliament are working, for one day, as deputies and together they debate about an amendment to the law on pensions.
The task for the “federal deputies for one day” consisted of discussing and passing an important political decision, passed by the national assembly. The participants took their seats in the assembly hall of the Austrian Parliament. First, the coming into law and the procedures of a session of the federal council were being explained. The simulation included fractionation, preparation for the committee meeting of the faction, committee meeting of all parties and a full hour of plenary session.
One point was the bill to extend the retirement age to 68. All factions had the opportunity to raise their arguments during the discussion session. The Green faction, represented by the “federal counsellor” Birgit Meinhard-Schiebel, presented the proposed green pension model which does not increase the retirement age. This model has been calculated and prepared for many years; it guarantees the subsistence for older people now as well as for the following generations, thus following a new path for people of any age towards a secure old age.
The Green proposal also suggests to include the youth parliament in such discussions in order to make decisions with all generations – in accordance with Green social safeguards and generational justice.
This kind of political education should become a permanent institution in Parliament in order to offer political education also for older people.
