(de-news.net) – Federal Economics Minister Katherina Reiche (CDU) has reiterated her backing for the legislative plan at the center of the grand coalition’s pension package controversy. She underlined that the proposal had already been formally endorsed by the cabinet and explained that the commission on pension reform was expected to commence its work in the near future. Addressing the tensions between the Junge Union and the current CDU mainstream, she stressed that once the Bundestag had given its approval to the package, the findings of the reform commission should be incorporated into legislation within the current parliamentary term.
Reiche rejected speculation that she opposed extending the so‑called “safeguard line” of 48 percent for the pension level beyond 2031. Instead, she restated her concerns about the overall condition of the social security systems, with particular attention to the pay‑as‑you‑go pension, and argued for a balanced approach that would also strengthen occupational and capital‑funded pensions alongside the statutory scheme. In doing so, she sought to dispel the impression that her position diverged from that of Chancellor Merz in this debate.
At the same time, the SPD parliamentary group urged the Union leadership to uphold the pension agreement that had already been negotiated within the coalition. Annika Klose, the group’s spokesperson for labor and social policy, insisted that while it was legitimate for a party’s youth wing to articulate independent positions, members of parliament belonging to a governing coalition were expected to assume responsibility and support compromises that had been reached. She emphasized that citizens expected reliability from their elected representatives and that stable governance could only be achieved through such discipline. Chancellor Merz, despite facing opposition from parts of his own party, reaffirmed his commitment to the coalition deal during recent discussions.
The SPD maintained that the pension package was essential to guarantee security and adequate provision for retirees, stressing that this principle must extend not only to current pensioners but also to future generations after 2031. The group underscored that the package should enter into force at the beginning of the year as planned, thereby ensuring continuity and confidence in the country’s social policy framework.
