Pascal Reddig, the CDU parliamentary group chairman and a CDU representative, views the work of the pension commission as a success. Speaking to the publication “Das Parlament”, which is disseminated by the Bundestag, Reddig stated that “the pressure we exerted during the debates has resulted in a significantly faster and, above all, good outcome.” He asserted that although the contribution rate will increase in 2028, it could be stabilized or even reduced in the 2030s, thereby marking a major trend reversal.
The commission’s proposals for integrating minijobs into the regular social security system have generated strong opposition, particularly from the hospitality and retail sectors. Reddig countered these concerns, clarifying that the goal is “not to abolish these employment opportunities, but to integrate them into the standard systems.” The primary aim of this measure is to improve the retirement security of self-employed individuals and minijobbers. However, he added that the legislative process must formulate a “solution that is practical in practice.”
A new cornerstone of the reform, Reddig advocates for is the so-called “Sweden Pension,” a capital-backed solution within the pension insurance framework. He argues that this model is simpler to implement than a mandatory company pension scheme and could significantly boost the pension level in the medium term.
Reddig concluded by calling the reform a “well-balanced compromise” achieved because both the Union and the SPD had to make concessions. He believes that a broad segment of the population can support their core idea. He issued a strong warning against modifying individual elements of the plan, stressing that the measures have diverse interdependencies; removing one component would jeopardize “the structure and balance of the entire construction.”
