Thorsten Frei, Chief of the Chancellor’s Office for the CDU, dismissed recent reports concerning potential key elements of pension reform as mere “boilermaker readings”. Speaking to the TV channel “Welt” on Thursday, Frei advised the public to treat such information with caution, noting that the dedicated commission is expected to continue hosting controversial debates until completion.
While he acknowledged that the proposal for extending working life was generally sensible and reflected an awareness of intergenerational fairness, Frei pointed out the timeline for the definitive report. He stated that the Pension Security Commission will not finalize its findings until June. He anticipates the commission will convene its closing sessions around the beginning of June to present its report, and he expects controversial discussions to persist right up to that point. Due to this uncertainty, the Chief of the Chancellor’s Office stressed the crucial need to approach such summary press releases with extreme caution.
Frei conveyed his conviction that the Pension Security Commission takes its challenging mandate very seriously. He stated that the commission is not merely considering the current generation but factoring in the welfare of generations well beyond 2060-a timeframe where demographic change fundamentally affects the pension insurance system.
According to Frei, linking the expected increase in life expectancy in Germany to changes in the working lifespan is entirely logical. He reminded listeners that pension policy relies heavily on “actuarial mathematics” a factor that cannot be overlooked if the goal is to achieve fair results across different generations.
The Chief of the Chancellor’s Office expressed hope that the commission’s recommendations will eventually materialize into a law supported by all coalition partners. He highlighted the high caliber and breadth of expertise of the commission, which has been working since January 7th.
Ideally, Frei wished that the commission’s findings, which he views as representing a “societal compromise” could be directly incorporated into the legislative process and passed swiftly. He drew a positive comparative example from the health reform, noting that following a clear timeline-the commission report on March 30th, the Ministry of Health’s draft on April 14th, and the final cabinet vote on April 29th-managed this necessary speed. Achieving a comparable pace in pension reform, he concluded, would be “super”.
