Overview
- Labour Minister Bärbel Bas welcomed examining a shift from a fixed age to minimum contribution years, while CSU leader Markus Söder and CDU general secretary Carsten Linnemann signaled openness to debate it.
- Chancellor Friedrich Merz endorsed discussing the option during an ARD program, stressing a unified reform package and a commission to be launched before Christmas.
- The employers' association BDA rejected the concept as a rebranding of the old early-retirement track, arguing it remains the wrong approach.
- Economists including DIW president Marcel Fratzscher and advisory council member Martin Werding warned the model could widen inequalities, particularly for women and caregivers, with some urging life‑expectancy‑based adjustments instead.
- Debate over design details intensified as CDU lawmaker Nicklas Kappe backed stronger weighting of contribution years and possible job‑based distinctions, while examples cited a 45‑year threshold that would let early starters retire well before late entrants.