Overview

• SPD leader Lars Klingbeil condemned raising the retirement age as unfair to manual workers and argued for making extended work in later life voluntary.
• Skilled‑trades voices diverged: roofer Jens‑Norbert Schmidt backed moving toward 70 with flexible roles and lighter duties, while employer Otto Peetz called 70 unrealistic for construction and urged penalty‑free retirement after 45 years of service.
• EU economic and finance ministers in July urged Germany to promote longer careers and reduce incentives for early retirement, including cutting the federal subsidy to the pension system.
• The cabinet adopted a draft to keep pensions aligned with wages through 2031, a move that relies on billions in federal budget support.
• Poland unveiled OKI tax‑free personal investment accounts allowing up to 100,000 zloty to be invested with a targeted mid‑2026 start, highlighting a capital‑market alternative to Germany’s pay‑as‑you‑go approach.