Rubalcaba makes pledge on pensions
Socialist candidate for prime minister promises not to freeze civil servant salaries
"I'm not going to freeze pensions, nor civil servant salaries." This bold statement was uttered by the Socialist prime-ministerial candidate Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba on Tuesday, while talking about his plans for 2012 should he win the November 20 general elections.
Former Deputy Prime Minister Rubalcaba's aim was, above all else, to set himself apart from his opponent, Mariano Rajoy of the Popular Party, who on Monday would not be drawn on those two issues, and on Tuesday morning dodged questions about his plans for the wealth tax.
Rubalcaba's critics were quick to point out, however, that pensions and civil servants' wages were frozen while Rubalcaba was in the role of deputy prime minister.
