Overview
- Chancellor Friedrich Merz said pension entitlements should be determined by total years of work rather than a fixed retirement age.
- Government adviser Jens Südekum proposed setting the threshold at a minimum of 45 contribution years, illustrating that early starters could retire sooner while late entrants would work longer.
- Merz said the SPD is open to the approach and pointed to a coalition commitment to rely more on capital-funded occupational and private provision alongside the statutory system.
- The existing Aktivrente already relaxes the fixed-age rule by allowing earnings of up to €2,000 tax-free after reaching retirement age for those who continue working.
- Merz urged reforms within 2026 and encouraged early private saving, citing a €50-per-month example, while formal changes await modeling by the pension commission and no law has yet been enacted.