by Thorsten Koch

Peter Weiß, the pension expert of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group in the Bundestag, has set conditions for the announced basic pension to be implemented in 2021. “One condition is that a [sound] financing concept is in place,” he said. Both the Federal Ministry of Finance and the Federal Ministry of Social Affairs had announced to present financing models. This did not happen but was a basic condition for the Union parties in the Bundestag to agree to the basic pension.

“We lack a binding, clear statement of where and when this money will be available,” Weiß said. He added: “We want the law itself to give the affected citizens transparency as to when they can expect a basic pension.”

Manuela Schwesig (SPD), Prime Minister of Mecklenburg-West Pomerania, rejected concerns from the Union parties in the Bundestag. The basic pension must come immediately, said Schwesig. In the 30th year of German unity, the ‘generation of change’ had to be helped. Currently, this generation in many cases had to make do with small pensions.