CSU leader Markus Söder sharply rejected criticism of the mother‑pension extension he pushed forward at his party’s political Ash Wednesday meeting.
In Passau on Wednesday, the Bavarian premier said that the campaign was “almost arrogant”, especially coming from people with very high pensions on television. He emphasized that “the respect for, and the life achievements of ten million German women” are of particular importance to him and his party.
Söder pointed out that the proposal targets the generation that raised children during the 1970s and 1980s-a time when child‑care options in Bavaria were limited and rural employment was not as prosperous as it is today. He said those women raised their children well, saved where they could, and now have the means to give something to their grandchildren.
He also noted that in recent years newcomers in his neighbourhood have been receiving “everything possible” while not having paid a single euro into the social funds. Söder said that this, he argued, is unfair and cannot continue.