(de-news.net) – Chancellor Friedrich Merz has reinforced his government’s stance in the ongoing debate over pension legislation, presenting the draft law as both a fulfillment of coalition commitments and a necessary measure to maintain political stability. He underscored that the proposal was firmly anchored in the coalition pact, while at the same time acknowledging that the system would require structural adjustments once the safeguard period ends in 2031.
The Chancellor introduced the legislation as a cornerstone of social policy, guaranteeing a pension level of 48 percent until 2031. He explained that a pension commission would be established within the year, tasked with completing its work before the summer of 2026. Merz emphasized that the commission would be designed to include not only supporters of the draft but also critics, thereby ensuring a broad spectrum of perspectives in shaping long‑term reform. He added that discussions with the Social Democratic Party would focus on drafting an accompanying text to the bill, reaffirming the coalition’s commitment to comprehensive reform beginning in 2032.
Merz indicated his readiness to incorporate references to the post‑2031 period in the explanatory memorandum of the law, thereby signaling openness to future adjustments. He firmly rejected demands from the Junge Union to alter the legislation and dismissed projections of follow‑up costs amounting to 120 billion euros after 2032 as inaccurate. According to the Chancellor, the coalition had already agreed to define a new benchmark for the pension system beyond that date, with the explicit aim of preventing unsustainable expenditures. One option under consideration would be to link pension adjustments to inflation rather than wage growth, a measure that could stabilize long‑term financing.