Sven Schulze, the Minister-President of Saxony-Anhalt, remains committed to preserving the so-called “pension at 63,” setting himself against Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) once again. Despite the Old-Age Security Commission having proposed abolishing this rule, the CDU politician defended in the magazine Spiegel the possibility of retiring penalty-free after 45 years of contributions.
Schulze previously praised the Pension Commission’s proposals at the end of June, stating on Instagram that they would make the pension “future-proof.” However, just a few weeks later, he opposed a central element of the package: the dismantling of the penalty-free retirement scheme after 45 contribution years. He emphasized the regional necessity of the policy, stating: “It is about 45 contributed years, so people must understand that the situation in Eastern Germany is fundamentally different from Western Germany.” Schulze justified his stance by noting that many people in the region have worked in physically demanding professions and may no longer be capable of working. While he insists he does not want to derail the entire discussion, he stated he will hold firm on his position, confirming that he is always willing to compromise but will not yield.
In a separate critique, Schulze also criticized personnel debates happening within the federal government, which he claimed overshadowed the CDU’s campaign efforts in Saxony-Anhalt shortly before the state elections. He noted that such challenges are immense in any state election campaign, but they were particularly large for his region because overarching federal political issues overshadowed local concerns. Specifically, he referenced instances where personnel debates were promoted at campaign stands weeks before the election, matters which his administration could neither control nor influence.
Schulze framed his differing positions from the Chancellor as part of his fundamental duty as a minister-president. He argued that it is not his function for agendas formulated in Berlin to supersede those of Saxony-Anhalt. Instead, his role is to bring the concerns of Saxony-Anhalt to the national stage in Berlin and advocate for their successful implementation.
