Overview
- Germany’s 13‑member pension commission has been tasked to present reform proposals by mid‑2026, with options kept broadly open.
- The CDU‑aligned Wirtschaftsrat renewed its push to raise the statutory retirement age beyond 67, while leading conservatives discuss tying retirement to years of contributions.
- An emerging ‘Leistungsrente’ concept, championed by economist Jens Südekum, would base retirement on roughly 45 contribution years and is drawing cross‑party interest, including from Thorsten Frei.
- The Landessozialgericht Baden‑Württemberg ruled the state may reclaim overpaid pensions by withholding up to 50% of monthly benefits if subsistence is secured, though an added dunning fee in the case was struck down.
- Core 2026 settings hold with a 18.6% contribution rate and a higher earnings cap of €8,450 per month, and media analyses note the new earning allowance aims to keep older specialists working, with estimated revenue losses around €900 million.