Overview
- Lawmakers approved the package by 319 to 225 with 53 abstentions, meeting the absolute majority Chancellor Friedrich Merz targeted.
- The measures fix the statutory pension level at 48% through 2031, expand the Mütterrente for pre‑1992 births, and create an “Aktivrente” with up to €2,000 a month tax‑free for post‑retirement work alongside eased part‑time returns to former employers.
- The coalition secured the majority from CDU/CSU and SPD ranks despite several Union dissents, while Die Linke’s tactical abstention lowered the threshold for passage.
- Business groups and younger Union MPs warn of long‑term costs in the roughly €111–€120 billion range and greater burdens on future contributors, urging deeper structural reforms.
- A Rentenkommission is to be appointed before Christmas to propose broader changes by mid‑2026, including options that may revisit long‑term sustainability.