Saxony-Anhalt’s Minister-President, Sven Schulze, has indicated that he does not fundamentally question the pension reform. Speaking to the newspapers of the Funke Media Group, Schulze stressed that future discussions must take into account the varied career histories and living realities found in East Germany.
The current debate stems from the commission’s final report, which recommends eliminating the possibility of availing oneself of an early, unreduced retirement after 45 years of contributions. These proposals had recently elicited significant criticism, particularly in the eastern states. East German ministers-presidents called for modifications and voiced opposition to ending the so-called “pension at 63.”
Schulze stated that the commission’s recommendations now form the foundation for ongoing political consultations. He affirmed that while East German heads of government have made it clear that the interests of people in the region must be appropriately accounted for, he remains in regular dialogue with the relevant federal counterparts and intends to constructively contribute his own position.
Meanwhile, Pascal Reddig, the vice chairman of the Pension Commission, cautioned against separating individual components of the reform from the overall package. He pointed out that the early retirement option after 45 contributions costs the solidarity system tens of billions of euros annually and fails to meet its original objective of allowing people in physically strenuous jobs to retire sooner. Therefore, the commission recommended replacing this option with a targeted protection pension for individuals suffering from health-related burdens.
Reddig warned further that if the “pension at 63” were removed from the overall framework, the entire structure of the pension reform could collapse. He explained that the proposed measures are interconnected and can only be financially viable in the long term when implemented as a balanced whole.
