Due to the freezing of the minimum pension at 450 euros, around 70 thousand pensioners have so far been damaged by 76 euros each. The real value of the pension of 450 euros (purchasing power) has been reduced to 374 euros instead of being nominally increased to 527 euros, stated in a statement by the Association of Pensioners of Montenegro "For a Life Worthy of a Man".
The minimum pension has been frozen at €450 since the beginning of 2024, meaning it will not increase through regular four-monthly adjustments like other pensions. Under current regulations, it will only be unfrozen at the beginning of next year, meaning its beneficiaries will not be covered by six adjustments.
"On the occasion of the announced May pension adjustment, which, as it turned out, only included a small number of Montenegrin pensioners, on this occasion, for the umpteenth time, we point out a series of shortcomings that accompany the adoption of this and previous decisions to the detriment of pensioners, i.e. citizens of Montenegro. The adjustment of 3,1% for the first four months of this year, unfortunately, only applies to 42.000 pensioners. Out of 130.000 pensioners, 42.000 will receive an increase, 70.000 minimum pensioners will not, and the remaining 18.000 were lost in the calculation. On this basis, the minimum pension has so far (January 2024 to May 2025) lost 17% of the purchasing power of the pension based on this frozen adjustment, so they still have a minimum pension of 450 euros instead of 527 euros. Or, the purchasing power of 450 euros of the minimum pension has been reduced to a real pension of 374 euros", they stated from this Association.
They also point out the paradox that pensioners, who before the minimum pension was increased to 450 euros, had a pension of 374 to 450 euros, would now have a higher pension through regular adjustments if there had been no increase in the minimum pension limit and then its freezing. They state that thousands of pensioners have been deprived in this way because after the previous adjustments they would have had a higher pension if they had not entered the minimum pension category.
They also point out that each pension is paid 20 days late, which is why they are asking for this to be compensated at the end of the year in accordance with the level of inflation.
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