To block a second indictment, Temer defends special retirement benefits for members of parliament.
Michel Temer continues to use his own money to evade justice: in an attempt to block charges of obstruction of justice and leading a criminal organization, Temer is now advocating for special retirement benefits for members of parliament; the government's statement comes just days after the announcement of the release of R$ 1 billion in parliamentary amendments.
Forum Magazine - In a true all-or-nothing power grab, Michel Temer is betting big to escape the new charges against him, for criminal organization and obstruction of justice, filed by the Attorney General's Office and already sent to the Chamber of Deputies. This time, the government is defending the Congressional Social Security Plan (PSSC), in other words, special retirement benefits for current and former members of parliament.
Rodrigo Janot, who left the Attorney General's Office in recent weeks, considered this one of the "immoral laws." Now, the Attorney General's Office (AGU) has sent an opinion, contrary to Janot's, to the Supreme Federal Court (STF). According to the former prosecutor, after Constitutional Amendments 20/1998 and 47/2005, the Constitution now provides for only three types of retirement: the special social security regimes for civil and military public servants; the General Social Security Regime, of a contributory nature and with mandatory affiliation; and the supplementary social security regimes.
In her opinion, the Attorney General of the Union, Grace Mendonça, defended maintaining the current rules for current and former members of parliament. She also argued that these rules are part of the "constitutional prerogatives of the Legislative Branch, given the political nature of the function performed."
"It should also be noted that the Constitution does not prohibit the creation of specific pension schemes, nor does it limit their existence to the models currently in force," says a passage from the document to which the Jota website had access and made public. "The constitutional text does not necessarily allow for a restrictive interpretation, that this is the only possible scheme. In this case, it is understood that the constitutional provision intended to guarantee that those holding positions without permanent tenure would not be excluded from the protection of a pension scheme," concluded the Attorney General's Office.
Once again, coincidentally or not, the demonstration is taking place at a time when the government is seeking votes to block the new charges against Temer and also to approve the controversial Pension Reform. In recent days, the government announced the release of more than R$ 1 billion in parliamentary amendments.
Created in 1997, the PSSC guarantees congressmen benefits such as full retirement benefits, recognition of past mandates, salary increases at the same percentage as active parliamentarians (the so-called parity), accumulation of benefits that exceed the constitutional ceiling, full pension in case of death, and retirement costs covered by the Union.