The Minister-President of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Manuela Schwesig (SPD), is advocating for the unreduced pension entitlement based on 45 years of contributions to be extended to the current younger generation.
Speaking to the television channel Welt, Schwesig refuted the claim that the pension set at age 63 primarily benefited older individuals while obligating younger people to shoulder the costs of this expensive pension structure. She emphatically stated that she doesn’t overlook the next generation; rather, she supports measures that ensure today’s young people benefit from the age 63 pension in the future.
She clarified that her advocacy is not simply a defense of current pensioners because they already benefit from existing rules. Instead, she emphasized that the discussion is about shaping future careers and specifically concerns young people who begin working early in life.
Schwesig raised the question of fairness, asking what one should tell a young person who graduates from school at 16, immediately undertakes vocational training, and starts working. She questioned if it is fair that such an individual would have to contribute for a longer period than someone who only begins working at 26. The needs of the younger generation, she stressed, are a primary concern.
Furthermore, Schwesig noted that many students participate in practical internships in skilled trades. She asserted her desire that those who start their career and contribute early, such as those in vocational apprenticeships, should not be the ones who ultimately have to stay in the system for the longest time.
