Johannes Winkel, the chairman of the Young Union (JU), stated that the black-red governing coalition must swiftly reform the legal pension system without prolonged transition periods following the state election in Saxony-Anhalt. Speaking to the “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung”, he pressed for the entire pension reform to be decided quickly in the Bundestag, ideally within the current year. Winkel added that all crucial new regulations must take effect before the 2029 federal election. This includes the planned abolition of the option for full-early retirement for those with 45 years of contributions, an issue where the SPD is advocating for at least five years of transition time.
The JU chief strongly warned Federal Labor Minister Bärbel Bas (SPD) against withdrawing from the reform package that the pension commission-comprising experts and coalition MPs-developed towards the summer. “Bärbel Bas stands by her word,” he asserted, emphasizing that the SPD is not entitled to special treatment within the coalition. This stance countered Bas’s earlier view that while the commission concept existed, there was no “political consensus” on the pension reform.
Winkel dismissed this skepticism, warning that if the reform had been merely another attempt at political profiling ahead of state elections, the coalition would be putting them in a very difficult position. He pointed out that Bas, who is also the SPD chairwoman, publicly committed to implementing the entire reform with Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) in late June. Furthermore, the coalition committee, under the leadership of the CDU/CSU and SPD chairs, reinforced this commitment with a resolution on July 2nd.
The chairman of the CDU/CSU youth organization also expressed little understanding for the criticism leveled by CDU regional leaders in the eastern states regarding the planned end of full-early retirement after 45 contributions. Winkel advised that policymakers in the CDU, whether at the federal or state level, must take responsibility for their own policies. This means they must advocate for an independent social policy rather than being swayed by what he called “seemingly popular promises” from other parties.
Winkel stressed that if the CDU wishes to credibly champion social justice, it must genuinely consider the balance of interests between those who pay and those who receive benefits. He concluded that he was confident this balanced approach would persuade many more people than the efforts of the past few weeks had managed.
