Overview
- The government-backed pension package proposes ending the abschlagsfreie early pension after 45 contribution years, a central cost-saving measure from a commission appointed earlier this year.
- On Friday, several eastern CDU minister-presidents publicly opposed scrapping the rule and called for talks on special protections, triggering wider regional resistance that includes SPD governors.
- Commission members and economists warn that weakening or exempting the 45-year rule would risk unraveling the whole reform because the savings fund other measures such as a new capital-funded tranche.
- Politicians and data point to persistent east–west wage gaps and heavier reliance on statutory pensions in the new Länder, which fuels fears that many eastern workers would lose meaningful retirement income.
- Lawmakers are discussing targeted Härtefall (hardship) provisions, transition rules and an Austrian-style heavy-labour model, but experts note such alternatives are complex and may not match the current benefit's reach.