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Junge Union Gathers in Rust as Pension Fight Puts Merz on the Spot

They object to a cabinet bill that would lock in a higher pension level after 2031.

Overview

  • The youth wing opens its annual Deutschlandtag on Friday at Europa-Park in Rust, with speeches slated from CDU general secretary Carsten Linnemann, Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Saturday, and CSU leader Markus Söder on Sunday.
  • The cabinet has approved Labour Minister Bärbel Bas’s draft, which stabilizes the pension level and states it should remain about one percentage point above current law after 2031.
  • The Junge Union’s lead motion brands the package a heavy burden from a young perspective, calls for no contribution increases during this legislative term, and urges tying the retirement age to life expectancy.
  • A group of 18 young CDU/CSU lawmakers, including JU chief Johannes Winkel, argues the draft exceeds the coalition agreement and warns of major costs, threatening to block it in parliament.
  • Delegates expect clarity from Merz on his stance, setting up a potentially tense exchange over intergenerational fairness and the coalition’s pension commitments.