2023-10-25
| Belgrade

Debate: Social Protection System and/or Helicopter Money

Centre Dialogue – Social Forum

On 25 October 2023, the Center for Democracy Foundation organised the debate Social Protection System and/or Helicopter Money, in collaboration with the Friedrich Ebert Foundation.

Partaking in the discussion were: Zoran Stojiljković, United Branch Trade Union Independence; Ljiljana Lučić, former State Secretary at the RS Ministry of Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs; Milan Ćulibrk, NIN; Peđa Mitrović, Party of Liberty and Social Justice; Miljana Pejić, KOMS (National Youth Council of Serbia); Nataša Vučković, Center for Democracy Foundation. The discussion was moderated by Suzana Trninić, Journalist.

In response to the challenging economic situation, rising inflation, and a noticeable decline in the standard of living for the inhabitants of Serbia, the government implemented one-off assistance measures for certain categories of the population (children up to the age of 16, pensioners, etc.) and reached ‘agreements’ with retail chains to reduce the prices of certain products. However, the number of poor and those at risk of poverty remains dramatically high, and Serbia has the highest levels of inequality when compared on a European scale.

The debate aimed to discuss the effectiveness of such measures. How do we measure their effects? What is the rationale behind distributing ‘helicopter money’? Who pays the highest price for this process? Is Serbia’s economic policy sustainable? Can assistance measures be better targeted? How can we systematically improve social and tax policies to provide necessary support to the most vulnerable?

The conclusion drawn during the discussion emphasised the need to enhance and reform the social protection system, develop a social protection strategy, enact new social protection laws, and select social protection measures, based on those most at risk. Analysis should be conducted using sound, credible data. Social protection involves not only providing assistance but also ensuring citizens' rights. Therefore, having a robust social protection system is crucial to enabling the population to exercise their rights continuously - rights on which we can all base a decent standard of living.

Furthermore, the conversation extended to the importance of discussing social protection at the opposition level with the citizenry, not just at the expert or civil society level. It is vital for people from all spheres of society and all parts of the electorate to learn about social protection, receive information, generate ideas, and to be able to compare these with the way they live. It is more important to inform people that the right to regular, monthly assistance is more beneficial to them than just receiving occasional assistance which is handed out to the population. Most would likely prefer the concept of a social protection system over ad hoc measures that cannot be relied on.

We organised the following debate in collaboration with the Friedrich Ebert Foundation – Centre Dialogue – Social Forum.