Pascal Reddig, the Deputy Chairman of the Pension Commission and a member of the CDU, has defended the planned pension reform, which aims to link the retirement age to life expectancy, in response to criticism voiced by Manuela Schwesig, the Minister-President of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern from the SPD.
Speaking to the “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung” (Friday edition), Reddig questioned Schwesig’s personal motives, asking whether her concerns were really directed toward helping individuals who have health issues or who worked in physically demanding professions. He pointed out that nearly every study and statistic shows that these workers often have interrupted careers, meaning they do not accumulate the requisite contribution years. According to the chair of the Young Group in the CDU faction, a pension system dependent solely on contribution years would particularly disadvantage women and those with irregular work histories.
Regarding Schwesig’s opposition to the commission’s proposal to abolish the pension starting at age 63, Reddig noted that many within the SPD themselves acknowledge that the goal of the current system was not achieved. He stated that the age-63 pension was introduced as an escape route for individuals who could no longer work physically. However, Reddig forcefully argued, “We must establish this: the pension at 63 fails to achieve that goal.” He concluded by questioning whether it is justified for all contributing members of society to finance a system with such shortcomings.
