Dennis Radtke, head of the CDU’s Social Wing, has voiced strong support for the resistance put up by CDU state premiers from Eastern Germany against certain elements of the proposed pension reform. Radtke told Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland that individuals who have worked for 45 years, assumed responsibility, and made their contribution deserve “respect and reliability,” adding that “no one should feel that their life’s work is being thrown under the bus.” This is why he views the initiative by the CDU premiers from Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Thuringia as crucial.
Radtke stressed that policymakers must seriously consider the real-life circumstances of citizens. He argued that while necessary reforms must be designed to be fair and socially balanced, failing to do so risks losing the trust of those who have sustained the country over decades.
Michael Kretschmer, Sven Schulze, and Mario Voigt, the three CDU premiers from Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Thuringia, are currently opposing the abolition of the premium-free pension following 45 years of contributions. In doing so, they are also bucking the stance of Chancellor and CDU leader Friedrich Merz, who has pledged a complete implementation of all recommendations from the pension commission, including the end of the premium-free pension after 45 contributing years.
The three premiers are calling for special consideration of the unique career paths found in the East, suggesting methods like longer transition periods. However, in a joint statement, they also emphasized a fundamental principle: “Anyone who has paid in for 45 years has paid enough. We will not relinquish this principle.”
