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Germany's Pension Commission Begins Work on Long-Term Reform

The government tasks the 13-member body with stabilizing the pay-as-you-go system under demographic strain by mid-2026.

Die Rentenkommission der Bundesregierung hat am Mittwoch ihre Arbeit aufgenommen. Sie soll Vorschläge für umfassende, längerfristige Reformen im Rentensystem vorlegen.

Overview

  • Labor Minister Bärbel Bas formally appointed the members on January 7 as the commission held its first session in Berlin.
  • The panel will examine statutory, occupational, and private retirement provision and present recommendations for changes.
  • Frank‑Jürgen Weise and Constanze Janda serve as co‑chairs, with vice chairs Pascal Reddig, Annika Klose, and Florian Dorn rounding out the leadership.
  • Union and SPD positions diverge, with the CDU/CSU advocating a higher retirement age and fewer early‑retirement pathways, while the SPD argues for a broader contributor base including the self‑employed, lawmakers, and civil servants.
  • Measures already enacted—holding the benefit level at a minimum 48% through 2031, expanding the mothers’ pension, and incentivizing work past pension age—bring short‑term costs that younger Union lawmakers have criticized.