The German County Association has rejected the proposal by Federal Minister of Labor Bärbel Bas (SPD) that civil servants should also be required to make contributions to the statutory pension funds. “Necessity may be the mother of invention, but it is not always the best guide” said its president, Achim Brötel, to the “Tagesspiegel” (Wednesday edition).
Civil servants, especially those in leadership positions in the public administration, are top performers, Brötel continued. “That is why we definitely have no interest in making the civil servant status less attractive financially by reducing pension insurance contributions” said the head of the interest association.
Bas recently called for civil servants, as well as lawmakers and self-employed individuals, to be required to make contributions to the statutory pension funds. She wants to reduce the pressure on the pension system, which is increasingly under pressure and at the same time reduce state expenses. In 2022, the federal government, Länder and municipalities together spent around 61 billion euros on civil servant pensions and survivor benefits.
Bas’ coalition partner immediately rejected the proposal. “I don’t see any justification for it in the coalition agreement” said Chancellor’s Chief, Thorsten Frei (CDU), in the ARD program “Caren Miosga.” The proposal is “not a sustainable financing model.”
Achim Brötel also criticized the proposal: “In times of increasingly acute shortages of skilled workers, we need rather the opposite impulses to further enhance the public service” said the president of the German County Association.