Voice of Pensioners
Voice of Pensioners is a Slovenian political party founded by former parliamentarian and Tržič mayor Pavel Rupar to advocate for higher pensions and improved living conditions for retirees.
Last updated August 26, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
Voice of Pensioners, formally known as Pavel Rupar's Voice of Pensioners, is a Slovenian political party associated with former Slovenian Democratic Party parliamentarian and former mayor of Tržič Pavel Rupar. The party emerged from a broader pensioners' movement that became publicly visible in early 2023. That movement focused on the financial pressure facing Slovenian retirees, particularly the effects of inflation, inadequate pension levels, and problems accessing healthcare. Its public activities were organized alongside the 1 October Institute, an association that promoted pension-related demands and helped provide an organizational base for political mobilization. The movement first presented its objectives publicly in January 2023 and held a major rally in Ljubljana on 1 February of that year. Its central policy demand was a substantial, differentiated increase in pensions. In June 2023, the Voice of Pensioners and the 1 October Institute submitted a legislative proposal calling for a 20 percent increase for pensions below €1,000, a 10 percent increase for pensions up to €1,500, and a 5 percent increase for pensions above €1,500. The proposal was backed by 10,278 collected signatures. The campaign framed pension adequacy as both a social and political issue, linking retirement income to inflation, healthcare access, and the broader treatment of older people by the state. The movement also sought attention beyond Slovenia. At the end of June 2023, approximately 60 pensioners led by Rupar traveled to Brussels. During a protest and accompanying speech, they criticized what they described as unequal treatment of civil-society organizations by the Slovenian government and objected to the portrayal of protest activity in Slovenia. Members of the European Parliament Milan Zver and Romana Tomc received the delegation. Rupar announced in September 2023 that a political party was being formed. Local committees began appearing across Slovenia during the autumn, and in November he announced that the founding congress would take place in Ljubljana on 20 January 2024. More than 400 notarized declarations of support were collected for the establishment. The congress adopted the party statute and program and elected its leadership, with Rupar becoming president. The event also included a cultural program hosted by actor Pavle Ravnohrib. At its founding congress, the party declared ambitions to contest the 2024 European Parliament election in Slovenia and the 2026 Slovenian parliamentary election. It did not ultimately field its own list in the European election, instead supporting Zala Tomašič, a candidate of the Slovenian Democratic Party. In the autumn of 2024, the party experienced an internal dispute after Rupar sought explanations from vice president Igor Černoga over suspicions concerning the handling of party funds. Rupar denied allegations directed at him and expelled Černoga and supervisory-board member Suad Muslimovič, with the legality of the expulsions reportedly questioned in relation to the party statute. The party's identity remains centered on pension policy, protest mobilization, and the political representation of Slovenian retirees.
History
Voice of Pensioners developed from a Slovenian pensioners' advocacy initiative associated with Pavel Rupar, a former Slovenian Democratic Party member of parliament and former mayor of the Municipality of Tržič. The movement's formation reflected concerns about the economic and social position of retirees. Its organizers pointed to inflation, insufficient pension income, and limited access to healthcare as evidence that pensioners required stronger representation and more assertive public advocacy. The initiative first addressed the public in mid-January 2023. It announced that it would organize a major demonstration, which took place on 1 February 2023. During the following months, the initiative worked closely with the 1 October Institute. The two organizations combined public demonstrations with institutional campaigning. In April 2023, Rupar confirmed that the association was considering the creation of a political party, while also collecting signatures for a legislative proposal intended to raise pensions. On 12 June 2023, the Voice of Pensioners and the 1 October Institute submitted their pension proposal to the legislative process. The plan called for a 20 percent increase for pensions below €1,000, a 10 percent increase for pensions up to €1,500, and a 5 percent increase for pensions above €1,500. Organizers reported collecting 10,278 signatures in support. The proposal became a central expression of the movement's policy identity: it sought to use a graduated increase to target retirees viewed as most exposed to rising living costs while also pressing the government to treat pension adequacy as a priority. The movement expanded its public profile in June 2023 through an international-facing action. At the end of the month, around 60 pensioners traveled to Brussels under Rupar's leadership. The delegation organized a small protest and Rupar delivered a speech criticizing what the participants described as unfair treatment of certain civil-society organizations by the Slovenian government. They also objected to the alleged discrediting of protest rallies in Slovenia. Members of the European Parliament Milan Zver and Romana Tomc received the delegation, giving the movement an opportunity to present its complaints and pension-related concerns outside Slovenia. In late September 2023, Rupar announced that the movement was being transformed into a political party. Local party committees began forming throughout Slovenia in the autumn. In November, Rupar announced that the founding congress would be held in Ljubljana on 20 January 2024. More than 400 notarized declarations of support were collected for the establishment. The congress adopted the party's program and statute and elected its leadership, with Rupar serving as president. The event included a cultural segment hosted by actor Pavle Ravnohrib. The new party initially presented itself as a potential participant in both European and national politics. Rupar stated at the founding congress that the organization would contest the 2024 European Parliament election in Slovenia and the 2026 Slovenian parliamentary election. Its approach to the European election later changed: rather than fielding its own list, it supported Zala Tomašič, the Slovenian Democratic Party candidate. This decision placed the party in a cooperative relationship with a larger center-right political force while preserving its separate identity as a pensioner-focused organization. The party encountered an internal governance dispute in autumn 2024. Rupar demanded explanations from vice president Igor Černoga over suspicions concerning the embezzlement or misuse of party funds. Rupar denied allegations made against him and expelled Černoga as well as supervisory-board member Suad Muslimovič. The removals were reportedly alleged to have breached the party statute, making the episode both a leadership conflict and a test of the party's internal procedures. Available reference material does not establish a final legal or organizational resolution. Voice of Pensioners is therefore best understood as a political brand built from a protest and advocacy network rather than as a commercial consumer brand. Its public identity is centered on pension increases, the cost of living, healthcare access, and opposition to what its supporters regard as inadequate treatment of retirees and civic protest. Its organizational development—from initiative, to association-linked campaign, to formal party—illustrates an attempt to convert street mobilization and signature-based advocacy into electoral representation.
- 2024
Founding congress
[1]The party was formally founded in Ljubljana on 20 January, adopting its program and statute and electing its leadership.
- 2024
European election support decision
[1]The party did not contest the European Parliament election with its own list and instead supported SDS candidate Zala Tomašič.
- 2023
Public launch of the pensioners' initiative
[1]The initiative publicly presented its objectives, focusing on pension adequacy, inflation, and healthcare access.
- 2023
First major rally
[1]The movement held its first major rally on 1 February in support of improved conditions for Slovenian pensioners.
- 2023
Pension increase bill submitted
[1]The Voice of Pensioners and the 1 October Institute submitted a tiered pension-increase proposal backed by 10,278 signatures.
- 2023
Brussels delegation
[1]A group of approximately 60 pensioners traveled to Brussels for a protest and meetings with Members of the European Parliament.
- 2023
Political party announced
[1]Rupar announced that the pensioners' movement was establishing a political party, with local committees forming across Slovenia.
Products and positioning
A pensioner-focused Slovenian political movement and party positioned around higher pensions, improved access to healthcare, and stronger political representation for retirees.
Political policy · 2023
Pension advocacy
The party's principal policy offering is advocacy for higher pensions, especially for retirees with lower incomes. Its 2023 legislative proposal called for tiered increases: 20 percent for pensions below €1,000, 10 percent for pensions up to €1,500, and 5 percent for pensions above €1,500.
Political organization · 2024
Pensioners' political representation
Voice of Pensioners seeks to convert pensioner mobilization into formal political representation. Its activities include local committee formation, public rallies, legislative campaigning, and stated plans to participate in Slovenian national politics.
Controversies
2024
Internal dispute over party funds
Rupar sought explanations from vice president Igor Černoga over suspicions concerning party funds. Rupar denied allegations directed at him and expelled Černoga and supervisory-board member Suad Muslimovič; the expulsions were reportedly questioned as potentially inconsistent with the party statute.
Marketing campaigns
- 2023Pension increase campaign
Slovenia
The movement and the 1 October Institute campaigned for a differentiated increase in pensions and submitted a legislative proposal supported by 10,278 signatures.
Outcome. The proposal entered the legislative process; the available reference does not establish its final legislative outcome.
- 2023Pensioners' rallies
Slovenia
Public demonstrations highlighted pension levels, inflation, healthcare access, and the treatment of retirees by the government.
Outcome. The campaign helped establish the movement's public profile and contributed to the decision to form a political party.
- 2023Brussels protest and outreach
Belgium · Slovenia
A delegation of about 60 pensioners protested in Brussels and presented complaints about Slovenian civil-society and protest politics to Members of the European Parliament.
Outcome. The delegation was received by Milan Zver and Romana Tomc.
Brand decisions
2024
Support for an external European election candidateOtherBackground
The party had announced that it would participate in the 2024 European Parliament election but ultimately did not submit its own list.
Action taken
It supported Zala Tomašič, a candidate of the Slovenian Democratic Party.
Aftermath
The decision aligned the party electorally with a larger Slovenian political organization while retaining its separate pensioner-focused identity.
2024
Expulsion of senior party membersOtherBackground
Rupar demanded explanations from vice president Igor Černoga over suspicions involving party funds.
Action taken
Rupar expelled Černoga and supervisory-board member Suad Muslimovič.
Aftermath
The action intensified an internal governance dispute, with the legality of the expulsions reportedly challenged under the party statute.
Recent events
- 2024
Voice of Pensioners formally founded[1]
Other · Leadership change
The founding congress in Ljubljana approved the party program and statute and elected its leadership.
- 2024
Party supports SDS candidate in European election[1]
Other
Although it had initially announced plans to participate in the European Parliament election, the party did not submit its own list and supported SDS candidate Zala Tomašič.
- 2023
Voice of Pensioners presents its political goals[1]
Campaign
The pensioners' initiative publicly outlined concerns about inflation, low pensions, and healthcare access and announced a major rally.
- 2023
Pensioners hold major rally in Slovenia[1]
Campaign
The movement held its first major rally on 1 February as part of its campaign for better living conditions and higher pensions.
- 2023
Pension increase proposal enters the legislative process[1]
Campaign · Other
The Voice of Pensioners and the 1 October Institute submitted a tiered pension-increase proposal supported by 10,278 signatures.
- 2023
Pensioners' delegation protests in Brussels[1]
Campaign · Other
A delegation led by Rupar criticized the Slovenian government's treatment of civil organizations and protest rallies and met Members of the European Parliament.
- 2023
Pavel Rupar announces formation of a political party[1]
Leadership change · Other
Rupar announced that a political party was being established, with local committees forming during the autumn.
Sources2 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/voice-of-pensioners · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled