Jochen Ott, the SP candidate for North Rhine-Westphalia, argues against setting a rigid age limit for retirement. According to Ott in the Politico Berlin Playbook podcast, fixed numbers are unproductive; instead, the focus must be placed on the total length of a person’s working life. He warned against blanket solutions, particularly regarding physically demanding professions. For example, he noted that someone who began working at age 16 and regularly performed strenuous labor on the floor has a different starting point than someone who went to university until 25 or 26 and later worked in an office.
Despite advocating for flexibility, Ott defended the legal pension insurance against doubts about its future viability. Referencing the long-standing promise of Norbert Blüm, he asserted that “the pension is secure,” describing the state pension as “one of the most stable systems ever.” When questioned whether the public pension system was merely a basic safety net today, Ott countered firmly that this was absolutely not the case. While acknowledging that challenges exist and the system requires future-proofing, he stressed that it remains vital for many people’s security.
Regarding the work of the Pensions Commission, Ott expressed optimism, predicting that the commission will propose a consensus solution-a shared proposal he believed could “bring peace to this society.” Furthermore, he defended SPD boss Bärbel Bas’ proposal to include civil servants and the self-employed in the pension insurance. Ott characterized this initiative as a far-reaching, long-term project, stating, “Honestly, this is a proposal that thinks far into the future, at least 30 years out.”
