Mecklenburg-Vorpommern’s Minister-President and SPD top candidate, Manuela Schwesig, has voiced strong opposition to the governing coalition’s plan to link the retirement age to life expectancy and potentially raise it up to 70 years. When asked if she supported this approach laid out within the pension reform, she told Welt TV, “Not really.”
Schwesig stated that her preference would be to align pension reform more closely with years of contributions. She argued that it matters whether someone started working at age 16 or age 26. Regarding the use of life expectancy as the determinant for retirement age, she felt, “I would rather go by the number of contribution years. I view this particular part extremely critically.”
She added that she was the first to publicly raise the issue, citing her knowledge of the situation on the ground. According to her, seven state prime ministers, from both East and West, including those from the SPD and CDU, have since joined her criticism.
Furthermore, Schwesig sharply criticized the Federal Chancellor’s approach to the pension reform. She asserted that decision-making requires dialogue and mutual agreement, stating that the Chancellor’s proposed “take-it-or-leave-it” policy, where everything is implemented one-to-one without consultation, “will not work.” She also pointed to a widespread public rejection of the changes, noting that if 81 percent of people in Germany find the proposed social reform unjust, and the Chancellor has very little popular support, he must question whether his current path is the right one.
In a separate matter, Schwesig denied any intention of pursuing a top position within the federal SPD. “I am not aiming for that. I chose Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and am running as Minister-President,” she said, clarifying upon further questioning: “For the next five years, no.”
