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PoliticsCDU parliamentary leader Frei rejects eastern state premiers' demand to keep deduction-free pension
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Thorsten Frei, parliamentary group leader of Germany's CDU, has rejected demands from three CDU state premiers in eastern Germany to retain the deduction-free pension for workers with 45 insurance years. The benefit, originally available from age 63 but gradually rising to 65, was recommended for complete abolition by a government-appointed pension reform commission. Frei argued the change is fair for generational equity and aligns with coalition agreements between the CDU and SPD. Eastern state premiers Michael Kretschmer (Saxony), Sven Schulze (Saxony-Anhalt), and Mario Voigt (Thuringia) jointly opposed the abolition, warning it would disproportionately harm eastern Germans who rely heavily on statutory pensions. They made their approval of broader pension reform in the Bundesrat conditional on keeping the benefit. SPD state premiers from Brandenburg and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania expressed similar concerns, while the CSU supports ending the deduction-free pension.
Source report
Union parliamentary group leader Thorsten Frei (CDU) has reaffirmed his support for ending the deduction-free pension for particularly long-term insured persons, pushing back against demands from several East German state premiers.
"As far as the pension at 63 is concerned, I believe that the proposal made by the old-age security commission is a really clever proposal," Frei told the Bild newspaper.
Background on the Deduction-Free Pension
The deduction-free pension is available to individuals who can prove at least 45 insurance years. Originally, it could be claimed from age 63, but this threshold is gradually increasing to 65. Currently, the retirement age stands at approximately 64.5 years.
The government-appointed reform commission for statutory pension insurance has recommended completely abolishing this option.
Frei's Position
Frei described the proposed pension reform as a "total work of art" and argued that ending the deduction-free pension is "fair in terms of generational equity." He stated that favoring a small group of people "at the expense of the younger generation" would be "not acceptable."
Referring to coalition agreements between the Union and SPD, Frei said: "We agreed in the coalition that we want to implement this total work of art, as it is, in its basic features. And I personally stand by that."
Opposition from East German State Premiers
Three CDU state premiers from East Germany—Michael Kretschmer (Saxony), Sven Schulze (Saxony-Anhalt), and Mario Voigt (Thuringia)—jointly demanded on Thursday that the deduction-free pension after 45 insurance years be retained. They argued that abolition would disproportionately affect people in East Germany, where many rely exclusively on the statutory pension in old age.
Brandenburg's state premier Dietmar Woidke and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania's state premier Manuela Schwesig (both SPD) expressed similar views.
Support for Abolition
In contrast, the CSU is also pushing for an end to the deduction-free pension for particularly long-term insured persons.
AFP/krott
Source
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German Coalition Dispute Over Abolition of Deduction-Free Pension at 63