The vice-chairs of the Pension Commission are calling for less ritualized politics in the Bundestag (German Parliament). Members of parliament Annika Klose (SPD) and Pascal Reddig (CDU) are criticizing the standard procedures followed so far and appealing to the coalition government to learn from the success of the Commission, according to Spiegel.
Reddig told the news magazine that “legislation in the Bundestag is extremely ritualized.” He noted that the processes have always been the same, often merely ticking off items that are written into the coalition agreement, whether or not that still aligns with current times. “The people feel that,” he added.
Reddig stressed that addressing problems should not only be done from fragmented, party-political perspectives. He argued that parliamentarians should more frequently try to conceptualize a shared picture of their societal life: “Where do we want this society to go and what do we need to make that happen?”
Klose warned that simply creating laws because they are in the coalition agreement is insufficient. Instead, she suggested that it would be beneficial for politicians to look at these fundamental questions together more often. This approach, she believes, would enable solutions with broader support and a shared vision. “The public expects that from us: showing them the light at the end of the tunnel.”
The Commission recently submitted its proposals for pension reform last week. Despite Klose belonging to the left wing of the SPD and Reddig being the spokesperson for the Young Group in the CDU faction-a group that opposed the government’s pension plans last year-the Commission successfully managed to agree on a joint report.
