While in Moldova the average pension in 2024 is estimated to be 3,965 lei (less than €210 according to the NBM’s current quotations), Lithuanian pensioners criticize their authorities for not being able to provide them with incomes higher than €637, IPN reports with reference to Delfi.

Even if both of the states obtained independence under the same conditions after the collapse of the USSR, the differences between the Baltic people and Moldovans are also evident in terms of demands for a better life put forward to the authorities. Recently, in Vilnius, pensioners, led by the Lithuanian Association of Older Persons, demanded a redistribution of the finances managed by SoDra (the national social security authority), in the amount of €3 billion, by increasing minimum pensions.

“Lithuania allocates 6-7 percent of the GDP to pensions, while the EU - 12 percent. Why?” the demonstrators wanted to know.

One of the organizers of the event, president of the Association of the Elderly Kestutis Makaravičius, said that the state institutions didn’t keep their promises - to ensure “a decent old age” for the elderly. “We are trying to put pressure on government institutions that should take care of people’s well-being. But we don’t see tangible results. And when I asked the Bank of Lithuania for at least one proof that the institution takes care of people, they could not name one. This institution gets salaries, but delivers no results,” he told the crowd that gathered next to the Parliament Building.

Present at the rally, one of the advisers to Lithuania’s President said that the head of state, Ghitanas Nauseda, has made efforts and continues to obtain faster increases in pensions. According to him, the President’s Office supports the proposals formulated by the demonstrators in this regard.