“Cross-party consensus”: Laschet wants pension reform for generations


“Cross-party consensus”
Laschet wants pension reform for generations

CDU boss Laschet is going on the thematic offensive: The next coalition must tackle the issue of pensions and draft a plan for the next generations. He doesn’t go into details. The other parties generally agree with the matter – and refer to many of their own ideas.

CDU leader Armin Laschet is aiming for a cross-party pension reform after the federal election. “I want a great social consensus, also with a pension commission in which everyone is involved,” said the NRW head of government and possible candidate for chancellor of the Union. With a bipartisan consensus, he wanted to enable “trust across the reigns”. “We now have to see: How can we make pension systems future-proof for future generations?” This question will have to be answered and planned for the next 10 or 15 years.

While there is rejection from the Greens parliamentary group and thus from a possible future coalition partner, the FDP signals general approval. The current coalition partner SPD speaks of a diversionary maneuver and called on the CDU to first clarify its own course internally. Laschet receives support from his own party youth – combined with the demand to be included in the pension debate.

“We have always said that we need a longer working life when we are all getting older,” said Laschet. “Introducing the retirement age at 67 was the right decision.” Pension policy needs “trust over changing reigns”, he justified his move towards the other parties. “I believe that – regardless of which government comes after – we have to answer the pension question again as far as possible in a broad social consensus.”

Laschet recalled pension policy since the 1950s. The then Chancellor Konrad Adenauer tried to make such decisions across parties, since different governments would come into office in such long periods of time.

SPD Vice Kevin Kühnert spoke of a transparent diversionary maneuver. “Laschet would do well to first clarify with an internal party pension commission what the CDU’s common position is,” he said. “We are not available for pension cuts through the back door.” The SPD had long since presented its pension concept. “It is clear to us that good pensions require good wages. The increase in the minimum wage to EUR 12, which we have called for, would not only be an act of justice, but also an enormous boost for the statutory pension.”

The grand coalition had already launched a joint pension commission with employers and unions, which presented its results a year ago, Kühnert said. “The fact that a lot remained vague was not least due to the massive internal disagreements in the Union.” Social and economic wings of the CDU are in disagreement about the retirement age, the pension level, the inclusion of self-employed and civil servants, as well as the income threshold.

Citizen insurance, Swedish model, new commission?

Green pension expert Markus Kurth said: “In the past few years, the Union did not care about a consensus on pension policy.” You have “enforced tough policy of interests at the expense of the pension insurance”. There is no need for “further pension commissions that brainstorm with poor results”. What is needed is a plan – and the Greens have one with the aim of public insurance and the long-term stabilization of the pension level.

The FDP, on the other hand, welcomed Laschet’s initiative in principle. “When it comes to pensions, it is urgently necessary to finally think in terms of decades and legislative periods,” said the pension policy spokesman, Johannes Vogel. “But the CDU will have to show its colors in the election manifesto, because a coming federal government itself cannot avoid bold action.” The FDP is proposing a completely flexible retirement age based on the Swedish model. She wants to make the system stable for all generations through a statutory share pension and, in particular, fairer for low-wage earners.

The chairman of the Young Union (JU) youth union, Tilman Kuban, said: “A major reform is needed as the baby boomers will be retired by the end of the decade.” A bipartisan commission with a young cast could be a key to such a reform. The JU boss demanded that concrete laws should be implemented by 2024. The JU is available “as a lawyer for the young generation”.

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