Hubert Hüppe, the chairman of the CDU’s Senioren-Union, has publicly distanced himself from a statement made by Party Chairman and Chancellor Friedrich Merz, according to which the statutory pension insurance would provide only a “basic level of security in old age”.

Speaking to “Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland”, Hüppe stressed that it is vital for the Senioren-Union that anyone who has worked and paid contributions for 45 years receives significantly more than basic old-age maintenance-even if their income only amounted to minimum wage. He warned that otherwise, the incentive for people to work rather than relying on state benefits would be diminished. Consequently, he warned that this situation would further encourage undeclared or black-market labor.