Principios constitucionales del sistema español de Seguridad Social: un derecho de los ciudadanos

A public system of social security is specially protected in a Social State, as happens in Spain and most of the European countries. This public system is nowadays reinforced by the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union and not only by the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. The Spanish constitutional recognition of this system (article 41 SC) is based on several principles: flexibility, publicity, sufficiency, necessity, universality and complementarity. All the other contents of the right can be shaped by the law, but it is in any case a true citizen’s right according to the General Law on Social Security and several international treaties such as the European Social Charter and certain relevant norms of the European Union. It is as well a clear mandate to the legislator, so public authorities are obliged to preserve a public scheme of Social Security with different benefits and levels. Indeed it is above all a right to legal configuration or legal development and several limits and dynamic restrictions can be imposed by laws according to the constitutional principle of financial sustainability. But, on the other hand, if the principle of proportionality has been violated, there are several remedies to react against those legal restrictions before the social courts, the Constitutional Court and the European Court of Human Rights which must guarantee the right to the peaceful enjoyment of possessions. A system of social security is always the fruit of the Law and therefore legal constrictions must be proportional.Un sistema público de seguridad social cobra especial protección en el contexto de un Estado social, como ocurre en España y en Europa, que viene ahora reforzado como derecho por la Carta de Derechos Fundamentales de la Unión Europea y no sólo por el Pacto Internacional de Derechos Económicos y Sociales. El reconocimiento constitucional español de este sistema (artículo 41 CE) se basa en los principios constitucionales de flexibilidad, suficiencia, necesidad, universalidad y complementariedad. El resto queda en manos de la ley, pero no por ello deja de ser un verdadero derecho de los ciudadanos de acuerdo con la Ley General de la Seguridad Social y con diversos tratados internacionales, como la Carta Social Europea, y relevantes normas de la Unión Europea. Es también un mandato al legislador de regular y mantener un servicio público con distintos niveles y prestaciones. Es verdad que este derecho de configuración legal admite limitaciones y modificaciones derivadas del no menos constitucional principio de sostenibilidad financiera. Pero, por otro lado, existen diversas acciones multiniveles para reaccionar frente a las restricciones legales que violen el principio de proporcionalidad ante las jurisdicciones laboral y constitucional y ante el Tribunal Europeo de Derechos Humanos de acuerdo con el derecho de toda persona al respeto de sus bienes. Un sistema de seguridad social es siempre el fruto del derecho y por ello las restricciones legales deben resultar proporcionadas.A public system of social security is specially protected in a Social State, as happens in Spain and most of the European countries. This public system is nowadays reinforced by the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union and not only by the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. The Spanish constitutional recognition of this system (article 41 SC) is based on several principles: flexibility, publicity, sufficiency, necessity, universality and complementarity. All the other contents of the right can be shaped by the law, but it is in any case a true citizen’s right according to the General Law on Social Security and several international treaties such as the European Social Charter and certain relevant norms of the European Union. It is as well a clear mandate to the legislator, so public authorities are obliged to preserve a public scheme of Social Security with different benefits and levels. Indeed it is above all a right to legal configuration or legal development and several limits and dynamic restrictions can be imposed by laws according to the constitutional principle of financial sustainability. But, on the other hand, if the principle of proportionality has been violated, there are several remedies to react against those legal restrictions before the social courts, the Constitutional Court and the European Court of Human Rights which must guarantee the right to the peaceful enjoyment of possessions. A system of social security is always the fruit of the Law and therefore legal constrictions must be proportional