Overview

• The Bundestag today holds a government declaration followed by first readings of the pension-level bill and a new compulsory service proposal in a 15‑hour session.
• The Union’s 18-member Junge Gruppe says the cabinet-approved pension package is not acceptable in its current form and cites roughly €118 billion in extra costs.
• SPD floor leaders stress that Chancellor Friedrich Merz backed the draft in cabinet and publicly demand the CDU/CSU uphold the agreed text without changes.
• Separately, the cabinet advanced an Aktivrente plan letting retirees earn up to €2,000 per month from employment tax-free while still paying social contributions, with parliamentary review next.
• Tensions over the Wehrdienst model intensified after a halted press event and divergent views on a possible lottery mechanism, prompting opposition claims that Merz lacks control.