Overview

• Lawmakers opened first readings on the Wehrdienst proposal and the pension package in a marathon Bundestag session, keeping the schedule despite internal rifts.
• Defense Minister Boris Pistorius blocked a negotiated Wehrdienst compromise that featured a lottery for selection, calling it a “fauler Kompromiss” and sending talks back to square one.
• President Frank-Walter Steinmeier expressed doubts about a lottery-based selection and indicated he could raise constitutional concerns when asked to sign any law.
• The SPD is pushing the cabinet-approved pension bill, including an Aktivrente that lets working retirees earn up to €2,000 per month tax-free, with introduction targeted for year-end.
• The Union’s 18-member Junge Gruppe says it cannot support the pension plan in its current form, a risk given the coalition’s roughly 12-vote majority, as Merz faced criticism for sidestepping the disputes and Jens Spahn insisted a resolution is in reach.