Sahra Wagenknecht brutally takes account of the Chancellor's pension plan“Attack on East German pensioners”

Sahra Wagenknecht insults Friedrich Merz

Wagenknecht threw Merz in the stern (belongs to RTL). “Pension policy arrogance of a West German multimillionaire in the Chancellery” before. The East German Prime Ministers must now “go to the barricades”. Merz had previously said at an event organized by the German Banking Association: “The statutory pension insurance alone will only be the basic insurance for old age.” It will no longer be enough to secure living standards. This would mainly hit people in East Germany hard because many did not and could not make private provisions.

Criticism of the Chancellor's pension proposal (details below) also comes from the CDU and the SPD.

Manuela Schwesig (SPD) sharply criticizes Friedrich Merz (CDU) for his pension statement

“I have absolutely no understanding of the Chancellor’s approach,” said Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania’s Prime Minister Manuela Schwesig (SPD) to the magazine stern (belongs to RTL). “There are no proposals from the pension commission yet.”

Merz would only spread fear. “And it is particularly classy to make these announcements at the Federal Association of Banks, where no one in the management ranks is guaranteed to be dependent on the statutory pension,” said Schwesig. For many people in the East, their pension only covers the bare essentials. “Pension reform must not lead to pension cuts.” Schwesig sent a fundamental warning to Friedrich Merz: “It has to stop the chancellor and his government telling people that they don’t work enough and that they need to be put under more strain.” Instead, what is needed is a concept for welfare state reform that is socially balanced and sensible.

CDU politicians are also settling on Merz's pension plans

There is also a threat of resistance from within our own ranks: “In the East, the statutory pension is almost the only source of income for many retirees; private and company pension plans play a significantly smaller role,” said the deputy head of the Union parliamentary group responsible for East Germany, Sepp Müller, to the star. “Anyone who wants to reorganize the future of pensions must recognize it and make it visible in the results of the Pension Commission.”

The state and parliamentary group leader of the CDU in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Daniel Peters, made similar statements. “A pension reform must ensure that the specific employment histories in the East are fairly taken into account.” The goal is a stable pension that effectively prevents poverty in old age. Peters added: “I am very excited about the working groups’ recommendations – these should be evaluated soberly, without populism or political slogans.” The topic is too important to be talked about.

This is what Merz wants with his pension: “It will no longer be enough to secure the standard of living”

Chancellor Friedrich Merz has prepared citizens in Germany for fundamental changes to pensions. The CDU chairman said at the annual reception of the Association of German Banks in Berlin: “It will no longer be enough to secure living standards.”

Merz said that funded elements of company and private pension provision must be added. “And on a much larger scale than we currently have, largely on a voluntary basis.”

The black-red coalition is working on reforming the pension insurance system. A commission of experts appointed by the government plans to present proposals in the summer.

Source used: RTL, stern, dpa