The government has publicly acknowledged that the decision to delay the start of the obligation for all interns to contribute arose after pressure from universities and corporate groups. This stance is documented in the official state bulletin, which includes the royal decree issued by the government this Thursday. The decree encompasses emergency measures ranging from new work-permit rules in family law to extensions of working hours, transit cards, and reductions in VAT on staple foods.
At first, the contribution requirement for students undertaking both paid and unpaid internships was slated to begin on October 1, 2023. Yet the Council of Ministers chose to amend that timeline and push the entry into force to January 1, 2024. This shift aligns with demands voiced by university leaders and lobbying bodies such as the University Business Foundations Network.
The government openly admits that the move reflects pressure from those who would bear the higher costs tied to the new policy. In practice, the student’s sponsor organization would bear the majority of the contributions, as 95 to 97% is subsidized by Social Security. The estimated cost per student is around 10 euros per month on average, with the measure expected to affect roughly one million students.
Officials described an “unforeseen situation” according to the BOE, noting that these are the cases in which Social Security obligations under the new rules fall to unpredictable circumstances. Many of the companies, institutions, or organizations that host internships under contracts or cooperation agreements with universities regulate the described internships.
When the full contribution across all students in internships is finalized within the framework of the agreement with the Administrator, the Administrator refers to an “unforeseen situation” and “urgency.” Trade unions like CCOO and UGT criticized the pace of reform. The Pension Reform Agreement, signed on May 15, came three days before formal signing when CRUE released a statement arguing that there is not enough time to implement the model in 2024 and warning it could seriously harm students. The education course is described as taking place in the first year of high school.
Stakeholders expressed strong opposition to the postponement in one part of the agreement, describing it as a case of yielding to pressure from academic and educational authorities who consistently oppose these new rights for younger generations, while ignoring the rights already available to them in the country.
History of failed attempts
For reasons not fully clear, contributing during internships for all students has been delayed multiple times in recent years. This commitment was already announced during the previous government led by Pedro Sánchez with Magdalena Valerio serving as the Minister of Labour. It stalled due to electoral dynamics. Later, during the coalition period, it became a key item in the first pension reform agreement in the summer of 2021.
There was an expectation that it would come into force in the 2021-2022 academic year, but that did not happen. The latest pension agreement once again reflected a postponement, now set for January 1, 2024. Polls released on July 23 noted the political timing—depending on which government is in power and what decisions are taken regarding this new obligation.