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Young Union MPs Threaten Pension Bill as Merz and Klingbeil Refuse Changes

A razor-thin majority leaves the early-December vote in doubt, with reports of up to 40 to 50 dissenters.

Overview

  • The Union’s youth caucus of 18 MPs says the draft remains unacceptable and will not get their votes.
  • Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil reiterate there will be no changes and press for Bundestag passage in early December.
  • At issue is a pledge to keep the statutory pension level near 48 percent beyond 2031, which critics say adds roughly €115–118 billion in costs.
  • Merz proposes a non-binding parliamentary resolution and cites a pension commission set to deliver post‑2031 reform ideas before the 2026 summer break, an offer critics call too weak.
  • BILD reports dissent could reach 40–50 MPs, the Greens reject the package in its current form, and faction leaders Jens Spahn and Matthias Miersch are expected to try to broker a deal within about two weeks.