Overview

• Marcel Fratzscher proposed that all retirees complete a compulsory social year, with assignments in care, community services or non‑combat support roles that draw on technical skills, including from former Bundeswehr training.
• The Sozialverband Deutschland and the DGB condemned the idea as disrespectful and unjust to people who have worked for decades, with AfD and BSW politicians also denouncing a mandatory service for seniors.
• The push follows DIW’s recent call for a “Boomer‑Soli” surcharge on high retirement incomes, another redistributive measure that drew broad criticism and revived arguments over generational fairness.
• Fresh polling by Allensbach shows most Germans expect higher retirement ages and lower future pensions but overwhelmingly oppose such cuts, highlighting the political difficulty of structural reform.
• Business leaders at the DIHK urge limiting benefits and boosting personal responsibility to curb rising social contributions, while ministers and economists press options like tying retirement age to life expectancy; a seniors’ service mandate would also face significant legal hurdles.