A proposal to link the retirement age to the number of years people have paid into the pension system has drawn mixed responses. While Federal Labour Minister Bärbel Bas (SPD) sees “a lot of merit” in the idea and the CDU considers it worth discussing, the Left Party has sharply criticized it. The Greens, meanwhile, objected on Monday to what they described as yet another narrow, piecemeal pension debate and argued that what is needed instead is a comprehensive reform plan.
Economist Jens Südekum had argued in Bild am Sonntag that the start of retirement should no longer be tied to age but to contribution years. For many academics, this would mean retiring later, since university studies delay entry into the workforce, reducing their total contribution years. Südekum also serves as an adviser to Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil (SPD).
Bas (SPD) expressed support for Südekum’s proposal on Sunday evening on ARD. She said she could find “a lot of merit” in it and considered the idea “fairer.” She announced that the proposal would be discussed in the federal government’s planned pension commission.
SPD General Secretary Tim Klüssendorf voiced similar views on Monday. He said he believes “that it is an idea that is significantly better suited for discussion than a plain increase in the retirement age,” speaking to RTL and ntv. The SPD politician emphasized, however, that a more flexible retirement age would be just one of several reform options.
CDU General Secretary Carsten Linnemann also considers the proposal worth debating. The pension commission must work “without taboos and without predetermined conclusions,” he told newspapers of the Funke Media Group. “The idea of linking the retirement age to the number of contribution years definitely belongs in that discussion,” he said.
CSU leader Markus Söder also responded positively. He said “the basic idea that one looks at a person’s lifetime of work rather than only at age is more appealing,” speaking in Munich. However, he added that it must also be discussed how much someone had actually worked during those years, pointing specifically to the share of part-time employment. The Bavarian state premier noted that this must be considered as well.
The AfD also considers it “right not to base the retirement age on a rigid age limit.” More flexibility in retirement timing is necessary, AfD pension policy spokesperson Ulrike Schielke-Ziesing told AFP. At the same time, she said no one should be required to work beyond the current limit of 67, and the party rejects any increase above that age.
The Left Party responded with harsh criticism. The proposal is “a poisoned offer, because it pits different groups of affected people against one another,” parliamentary group leader Sören Pellmann told AFP. Linke education policy spokesperson Gohlke called it “a fatal signal in times of skilled-worker shortages,” adding, “Whoever studies must not be punished for it in old age.” According to Gohlke, the proposal would result in many people retiring only from age 70 onwards, calling it “a massive pension cut through the back door.”
Marcel Fratzscher, president of the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW), also regards Südekum’s idea as unjust. “The proposal will not reduce old-age poverty but will increase inequalities,” he told the Rheinische Post. “It will also lead to an intense dispute over whether and when differences in retirement ages are justified.” The economist argued that this approach would disadvantage “people, and especially women, who have spent many years doing volunteer work or caring for their families.”
The Greens expressed caution. “Right now the priority must be ensuring that people are even able to reach the retirement age of 67,” parliamentary group leader Britta Haßelmann told AFP. Green Party chair Franziska Brantner called on the federal government to present a comprehensive pension concept first, instead of launching a new debate every day.
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