Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU)’s remarks regarding the pension system have drawn significant resistance from prominent politicians in the East German states, including some within his own party. Manuela Schwesig, the Prime Minister of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (SPD), told the “Stern” that she does not understand the Chancellor’s approach. She noted that no proposals have been submitted by the pension commission yet, suggesting that Merz is merely generating unnecessary anxiety. Schwesig found it particularly inappropriate that these announcements were made at an event hosted by the Federal Association of Banks, where, she pointed out, almost no one in leadership positions relies on the statutory pension. She emphasized that for many people in the East, the pension barely covers basic necessities, concluding that any pension reform must not lead to salary cuts. Schwesig issued a general caution to Friedrich Merz, stating that the narrative suggesting that people must work more or shoulder higher burdens must end. Instead, a concept for a social state reform that is both socially balanced and sensible is required.
Resistance is also evident from within the CDU ranks. Sepp Müller, the deputy head of the CDU parliamentary group responsible for Eastern Germany, told the “Stern” that for many retirees in the East, the state pension is nearly their only source of income, whereas private and occupational savings play a much smaller role. He argued that anyone looking to restructure the future of the pension must acknowledge this when presenting the findings of the pension commission. Daniel Peters, the state and parliamentary group leader of the CDU in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, echoed these concerns. He stated that a pension reform is necessary to ensure that the specific career paths of people in the East are treated fairly. The goal, he added, must be a stable pension that effectively prevents elderly poverty. Peters added that he is very interested in the recommendations from the working groups, which should be based on objective data, free from populism or political slogans, noting that the issue is too important to be debated superficially.
Meanwhile, Sahra Wagenknecht, founder of BSW, labeled the Chancellor’s statements as an “attack on East German pensioners”. She accused Merz of exhibiting “pension policy arrogance belonging to a wealthy West German who works in the Chancellery”. Wagenknecht asserted that East German prime ministers should now “take to the barricades”.
The context for this friction was Merz’s prior statement at a German banking association event, where he warned that the statutory pension insurance would, at best, only serve as a basic safety net in old age and would no longer be sufficient to maintain a standard of living.