Overview

• DIW president Marcel Fratzscher proposed requiring all pensioners to complete a year of service in social sectors or defense, with health-based exemptions and potential technical roles for former Bundeswehr trainees.
• Senior and social organizations including VdK, SoVD and the DGB denounced the plan as disrespectful or unnecessary, stressing that many older people already volunteer or care for family members.
• Critics highlighted feasibility barriers, noting a nationwide mandate would likely need a constitutional change and two‑thirds majorities in Bundestag and Bundesrat that are viewed as out of reach.
• The proposal follows DIW’s earlier ‘Boomer‑Soli’ concept targeting higher retirement incomes, framing both ideas as responses to demographic pressures and intergenerational fairness concerns.
• No party or government body has moved to adopt the concept, though some academics such as Klaus Hurrelmann have floated similar notions, leaving the debate squarely in the realm of public discussion.