Overview
- Law approved 319–225 with 53 abstentions in a roll‑call vote, clearing the “chancellor’s majority” threshold of 316.
- The Left abstained, easing passage as AfD and the Greens opposed the bill.
- Seven CDU/CSU lawmakers voted no, including JU leader Johannes Winkel and Junge‑Gruppe chair Pascal Reddig, underscoring a generational rift.
- The package extends the 48 percent “Haltelinie” to 2031, expands the Mütterrente, strengthens workplace pensions, and introduces an “Aktivrente” allowing up to €2,000 a month tax‑free for work past retirement age.
- A Bundesrat decision on 19 December could enable a 1 January 2026 start, while projected costs of about €11 billion in 2031 and higher thereafter fuel calls for deeper reform via a new commission by mid‑2026.