Spanish Congress approves pension bridge for mutualistas, keeps penalty for early retirees with 40+ years of contributions

What happened

Spain’s Congress approved a bill on 11 June 2026 that allows professionals insured in private mutual societies—such as lawyers, architects, engineers, and doctors—to transfer their accumulated contributions to the public Social Security system (RETA). The vote saw 180 in favor and 168 abstentions, with no votes cast against. The bill now travels to the Senate.

The pension bridge

For years, professionals in mutualities have reported meagre pensions, sometimes as low as €300–400 per month. By shifting their accumulated rights into the public RETA scheme, they stand to receive substantially higher benefits, potentially around €1,200 in some cases. The bridge addresses what many describe as a historical inequity.

“The regulatory development must ensure the passarela is implemented with guarantees, transparency and legal certainty.”

PP amendment widens access

A last-minute amendment from the conservative Partido Popular (PP) substantially altered the initial Socialist proposal. It removed restrictions that would have excluded already retired mutualistas and those who had already accumulated the minimum 15 years of contributions—groups the government had vetoed, citing a budgetary impact of €5,204 million. Estimates suggest the amendment opens the door for an additional 50,000 professionals, on top of roughly 100,000 active mutualistas.

Early retiree penalty stays

In the same session, lawmakers rejected a Podemos amendment that sought to eliminate pension reduction coefficients for approximately 900,000 early retirees who had contributed for more than 40 years. The PP and PSOE voted together to block the change, drawing sharp criticism from the affected group.

“We express our total indignation and vehemence after the shameful spectacle witnessed in the Congress of Deputies.”

Next steps

The legislation is not yet final. It passes to the Senate, where further amendments are possible; if modified, it will return to Congress for a final vote. The bridge is expected to become operational from 2028.