Federal Minister of Labour Bärbel Bas (SPD) reiterated her demand for the long-term integration of civil servants into the statutory pension insurance system. According to the Minister, establishing a common system is necessary for achieving substantial reform. By having everyone contribute, the overall fund would grow, thereby reducing the financial burden on the state. Although acknowledging that this process will take time, Bas suggested that initial steps toward this goal could be incorporated into the planned pension reform. To make this happen, she stressed that all federal states must participate, requiring discussions with the state premiers.
Bas expressed confidence that the 13-member Pension Reform Commission will submit a unanimous proposal by the end of June. Regarding the pension reform itself, she stated that she is fundamentally open to raising the retirement age above 67 after 2031. However, she emphasized that special solutions must be provided for individuals who cannot work longer. One potential element of these solutions could be partially linking the retirement age to the number of years an individual has contributed. Bas mentioned the need for “compromises” between different models for extending the retirement age.
On financial stability, she stated that contribution rates must be stabilized. Nevertheless, she challenged a recent projection from the pension insurance, which suggested that contribution rates would rise to 19.9 percent starting in 2028. She insisted that she had seen “somewhat lower figures”. Bas concluded by warning that the greater risk is failing to implement reform, given the clear trajectory that contribution rates are headed towards.
