In Belgium, the legal retirement age rises to 66 in 2025, then 67 in 2030. The debate pits the budgetary sustainability of an ageing system against maintaining decent pension levels. One pole wants to raise the effective age and tie pensions to years actually worked through bonus-malus. The other pole wants to protect the retirement age and guarantee higher minimum amounts, especially for long or arduous careers.
In short
"Raise the age" poleRaise the age
"Protect age & amounts" poleProtect age & amounts
UpdatedJun 22, 2026
Where the parties stand on Pensions
Raise the ageProtect age & amounts
#Party & stancePositionPole
1PSPSFRThe PS wants to allow retirement from age 60 after a 42-year career, without penalty, and guarantee a minimum pension of at least 1,500 euros net.80+
2PTBPTB·PVDAFR·NL⚑ Radical stanceThe PTB wants to bring the legal retirement age back from 67 to 65 and raise the minimum pension to 1,500 euros net for a full career.95+
3VBVlaams BelangNL⚑ Radical stanceVlaams Belang wants retirement at 65 based on a 40-year career and a higher minimum amount for nationals.82+
4VRTVooruitNLVooruit reasons by career years rather than age: retirement possible after 42 years of effective work, with a minimum pension already raised.80+
5ECOEcoloFREcolo wants to guarantee the right to retire after 42 years of career and a full pension after 45 years, with better recognition of job hardship.72+
6LELes EngagésFRLes Engagés want to keep the legal retirement age but allow early retirement from age 60 after a 42-year career, with arrangements for arduous professions.45~
7CD&VCD&VNLCD&V wants a flexible retirement age between 62 and 67 with bonus-malus and part-time pension, and deems the 1,500-euro net minimum pension essential.45~
8MRMRFRThe MR keeps the legal age (66, 67 in 2030) and wants to encourage working longer through a pension bonus and lower taxes beyond the legal retirement age.22−
9VLDOpen VLDNLOpen VLD wants worked years to weigh more in the calculation, abolish early-exit bridge pensions, and reward longer working through a pension bonus.22−
10N-VAN-VANLThe N-VA wants a 45-year career for a full pension and a bonus-malus system encouraging work beyond the legal retirement age, which it considers too low.18−
+Closer to: Protect age & amounts (≥ 60)~Mixed / centrist stance (45–59)−Closer to: Raise the age (< 45)⚑Radical stance
⚑For neutrality, parties with radical positions (PTB·PVDA on the left, Vlaams Belang on the right) are never ranked first, even when their stance is the most pronounced on the axis: they are placed just below the first party of government. The rule applies identically on the left and on the right.
Frequently asked questions
How do you read this Pensions ranking?−
This is a POSITIONS view, not a "best party" verdict. Each party is placed on a 0–100 axis between two poles — "Raise the age" (low) and "Protect age & amounts" (high) — based on its official 2024 manifesto, parliamentary votes, the Chapel Hill Expert Survey and Belgian media. A higher score simply means a position closer to the "Protect age & amounts" pole, not a better or worse stance.