I am writing to you as the European Commissioner concerned with employment, social affairs, and inclusion in connection with my rights to a Slovene pension. Hailing from Yugoslavia, I have worked in Slovenia for four years, in the United States for ten, and in the United Kingdom for fourteen years. I hold two passports, one from Croatia, and another from the United Kingdom. I currently reside in Croatia. Last year I turned sixty-five. Ever since, I have been receiving state pensions from the United States and the United Kingdom. However, I have been refused a Slovene pension because I have worked there for four years only. I wonder about the status of such a decision within the European Union.

Last year I applied for the Slovene pension through a bizarre procedure. Namely, I had to apply for a Croatian pension on account of my citizenship and current residence even though I had never worked in Croatia. First I was informed by the Croatian authorities that I could not get a Croatian pension because I had never worked in Croatia, which was hardly surprising, but then I was informed by the Slovene authorities that four years would not be sufficient for a Slovene pension. Of course, I could have been told about all this before going through my application.

By the way, last year I inquired with pension authorities in the United Kingdom about joint agreements between them and the Slovene pension authorities. I was told that there were no such agreements, which is why I decided to go through the Croatian pension authorities, instead. But I must say that I am quite surprised that such agreements do not exist between all Union countries. At this point I feel robbed of four years’ worth of pension payments, and I wonder what you can do to help me with this matter. Is it possible that a citizen of the European Union who has worked in another country within the Union can be robbed in this way? I would be happy to send you all the relevant documents, but I am primarily concerned with my basic pension rights.

Addendum I (June 18, 2012)

I did get a reply from Andor’s office in Brussels. They are prepared to intervene on my part. Jackie Morin, the head of a unit in the commissioner’s office, has asked me to send them the relevant documentation, as well as my permission to reveal my identity to the Slovene pension authorities. This is on their way already. One surprise is that I have not received any reply from Lojze Peterle, to whom I have sent a copy of my letter to Andor. A former prime minister of Slovenia, he is a member of the European Parliament at this time. And he is an old friend, too. One way or another, he has had nothing to tell me about this matter. I can only hope he is well.

Addendum II (August 29, 2012)

At long last, today I got a reply from the Slovene authorities. They are prepared to give me a pension, but they are not giving me even a hint of the amount. First I have to fill a whole bunch of documents, most of which remind me of Croatian bureaucracy. The same Yugoslav mentality, I guess. But the game is nearly over. Commissioner Andor’s office in Brussels did the trick. I cannot but feel a bit smug about the course I have taken. Had I attempted to resolve the mess through Slovene authorities, it would have taken me a few more years to arrive at this point. The moral of the story is simple: whenever you have a problem with bureaucracy, always go for the highest official on offer.