Overview

• The president of the German Institute for Economic Research proposes requiring every pensioner to complete a year of service in social roles or support functions for defense.
• He argues younger generations already face heavy pressures from rising social contributions and the effects of climate change.
• He says the Bundeswehr could benefit from retirees' technical skills, especially from those previously trained by the military.
• He calls for negotiating a new generational contract to rebalance responsibilities between age groups.
• He ties the proposal to a book releasing on August 29 and builds on similar ideas previously promoted by sociologist Klaus Hurrelmann.