CDU Member of Parliament and Chair of the CDU/CSU Young Group, Pascal Reddig, has warned that the party may reject the planned pension reform if the draft law deviates too heavily from the agreed-upon compromise. In interviews, Reddig stated that a fundamental prerequisite for their support is that the entire reform must be included in one package, specifically naming the capital pension component. He added that if the draft meets this requirement, they would naturally be happy to approve it; otherwise, they would not.
Reddig, who worked closely with the Union on the reform plans as part of the Pensions Commission, cautioned the coalition against abandoning the reform due to fears of making unpopular decisions. He criticized what he termed a tendency toward “short-sighted social populism,” warning that voters would not reward the coalition if they backed away from necessary changes simply out of apprehension.
While expressing openness to dialogue, Reddig specified that the CDU is willing to discuss proposals that could immediately save ten billion euros in the pension system to temper contributions, although he noted that no such proposal has been presented so far.
The CDU politician also criticized regional premiers from CDU-led states who had questioned parts of the reform. Reddig commented that after the coalition committee reached a consensus compromise before the summer break, he did not deem it particularly intelligent for some ministers-presidents to subsequently challenge those terms, stating that he did not view their actions favorably. The draft law is expected to be made available by October 7th.
