During a dispute over the pension system, Jens Südekum, the Federal Minister of Labour, disagreed with Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Speaking to the “Rheinische Post”, Südekum emphasized that the statutory pension is more than just basic security for many elderly people; for many, it is their sole source of income. However, he acknowledged that the Chancellor was correct that private retirement savings must play a larger role for future generations, noting that reforms to the old Riester pension scheme had already addressed this, which he deemed overdue. Despite this, Südekum firmly stated that this shift does not challenge the fundamental role of the first pillar-the statutory pension.
Following his earlier statements, Südekum reiterated the demand, aligning with Minister Bärbel Bas, that the pension age should be linked to the number of years contributing. He argued that a central objective of any pension reform must be the extension of actual working life. According to him, this is essential due to increased life expectancy and demographic change. Nevertheless, he stressed that this extension must be structured fairly, basing it on the actual years of contribution rather than solely on chronological age.
