The aging of societies and the affordability of pension systems are a global problem. The economies and political system of Eastern Europe also cause problems. The advocacy capacity of older people's organizations is low. To improve our professionalism, we develop recommendations for the reform of the pension system with the involvement of domestic and foreign pension experts, which we discuss on the senior parliaments, adopt and recommend to the decision-makers and Europe.

In all counties of Hungary and in the parliament of the country's capital

We are aware of all the flaws of the domestic pension system. For 3 years, the annually held, ascending system senior parliaments, formulated the biggest challenges in 29 categories. The governing powers do not wish to make efforts to solve these problems and the civil society doesn’t have means to enforce these. Decisions made by the State’s representatives, barely considers them partners, monopolizing state databases, and having basically just apological within the governmental media. From our project we are not only expecting to provide professional alternatives, but to show the compelling force of internationalism.
“No decision can be made about, without them!”

For current and future Hungarian retirees
• 21.99% of the Hungarian population are over the age of 63 (1,316,643 female és 833,287 male)
• The percentage in terms of the GDP expenditure of pensions, provisions, annuity and other type of allowances are consequently decreasing. (In 2014: 10.7 %, in 2015: 10.3 %, in 2016: 10.1 %, in 2017: 9.4 %, in 2018: 8.9 %.)
• The vulnerability of the pensioners grew, while their dignity and appreciation decreased.
• In Hungary, 89% of seniors’ income comes from government benefits, which makes them the most addicted from the state out of all OECD member states.
• Replacement rates of pensions in 2019 were 46% - 600000 people of pensioners live isolated for weeks, without the possibility for having social connections.

- selecting the circle of experts, inviting them to participate, commission them to produce a short study
- two workshops: one for the group of experts to debate their studies, and another to present and debate the studies with the interested delegates of the senior parliament
- the group of experts prepares their recommendations based on the prelude, which after at another workshop debate and agree on the content of their resolution to distribute among themselves who drafts which recommendation
- the final edit of the recommendation, putting it up for debate within the senior parliament
- the local senior parliaments conduct the debate of recommendations
- the national Senior Parliament – debate and accepting the recommendations
- follow up of the approved document

- We can provide a plausible alternative for the revision of the domestic pension system with the involvement of international experts,
- European harmonization model for managing issues of the senior generation,
- We are making the government to take action without proactive approach,
- Being able to create a partnership with the ones in power,
- The civil advocacy is able to produce results in their function,
- Ultimately future generations elderly life will become less unjust,
- The cooperating CEE organizations relations get stronger and standardize action becomes more effective,
- The interest enforcement capability of one of Europe’s largest population group is getting more powerful and unified and in the meantime the resources for common thinking and action is expanding.

Ascending senior parliaments are creating a new institutional system for the public activity of the elderly, for shaping their own situation.
Local pensioners 'organizations - but also those outside the organization - will be invited to a meeting of the county's seniors' parliament. Participants review the topicality of issues and suggestions raised at previous meetings, and then formulate their suggestions for improving their situation.
The National Retirement Parliament is attended by elected delegates from the county retirement parliaments and representatives of national non-governmental organizations dealing with the elderly. Delegates discuss the suggestions of the county parliaments and agree on which problems to bring to the Government - asking for a solution.

I’ve spent two decades in aging policy so far. I have been the president of the largest Hungarian pension organization for 10 years and vice-president of an European organization for the elderly for 8 years. My heart’s desire is to deal with the elderly, and I have a decades-long desire to achieve results to improve their quality of life. The experience of the recent period is that the civic-organized communities mostly lack the expertise and expertise to effectively articulate the interests of the age group. The recent period has taught us that the power of communities, the voice of the multitude, cannot be ignored. Just because we are not professional enough, - we want to improve on this - we still need to take our suggestions into account. No decision can be made about us without us.

Salaries 3 600 €
Subcontractors fees 20 000 €
Meetings 20 000 €
Travel 5 000 €
Communication 1 400 €
Total 50 000 €

Can improving professional skills improve the advocacy capacity of a non-governmental organization?
Do international experiences represent a real alternative to Hungarian transformation?
Are there other suggestions, ways to influence policy makers effectively?