Chancellor Friedrich Merz of the CDU apparently no longer expects the planned pension reform to be passed by the Bundestag as originally scheduled by the end of the year, and thus come into effect on January 1, 2027. According to reports by “Bild” (Saturday edition), citing government and chancellery circles, Merz now only targets the adoption of the reform within the Federal Cabinet by the end of the year.
Consequently, the decision originally planned for the Bundestag in December is expected to be postponed by several months. Merz now anticipates that the pension reform will be passed by the Bundestag much later. The goal is for the pension package to be ready in the “spring.”
Prior to the summer break, Merz had stated that the pension reform should be adopted by the Bundestag by the end of the year. Most recently, disagreements between the CDU/CSU and the SPD included conflict over the planned abolition of the retirement age of 63.
