A leading figure within the Green Party has voiced concerns regarding the current government’s approach to social security contributions and pension reform. Franziska Brantner, a prominent voice within the Green Party, expressed reservations in an interview with the “Rhineland Post” highlighting a perceived shift away from previously pursued strategies.
Brantner specifically referenced prior coalition efforts towards incorporating a capital-based component into the pension system and incentivizing continued work during retirement, efforts abandoned following the dissolution of the previous coalition. She argues the current government is now moving in the opposite direction.
The “mothers’ pension” program, costing an estimated five billion euros annually, was singled out as an example of measures that do not demonstrably strengthen the pension system or address female poverty in old age. Furthermore, there is a lack of clarity, according to Brantner, concerning how Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil intend to maintain the legally mandated pension level of 48 percent.
Brantner emphasized the urgent need to reduce non-wage labor costs, which she believes are significantly hindering economic growth. She critiqued the government’s expansion of pension benefits, describing its presentation as a “major pension reform” as disingenuous. The Green Party representative also suggested the government’s current policies are perceived as inequitable towards younger generations.