debate
Broad contradiction to the CDU initiative to retire at 63
Union faction vice Jens Spahn (CDU) wants to end the “retirement at 63”. photo
© Boris Roessler/dpa
In many sectors of the economy, people are desperately looking for reinforcements. This fuels the debate again about what it looks like with earlier retirements – and also with other ways to more staff.
A push from the Union for an end to the pension at least 63 years for long-term insured because of the shortage of skilled workers in Germany has triggered widespread opposition. Group deputy Jens Spahn (CDU) told the “Bild am Sonntag”: “Retirement at 63 costs prosperity, burdens future generations and sets the wrong incentives. It should be abolished immediately and replaced by a better disability pension.” Two million skilled workers who had retired earlier are now “bitterly” missing. SPD, Greens, Left, FDP, AfD and trade unions reacted immediately with outrage.
The Rhineland-Palatinate Prime Minister Malu Dreyer (SPD) called the demand unjust and ruthless. “Mr. Spahn may not be able to imagine that,” she told the German Press Agency on Monday. “It’s about roofers, salespeople, nurses, workers, who have worked hard all their professional lives and contributed a lot to the prosperity of our country.” It is “a sign of respect” that you can retire without deductions. Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania’s SPD head of government, Manuela Schwesig, and the SPD in the Bundestag also rejected the proposal.
Wissler: Spahn’s demand is “a disrespect”
Linke boss Janine Wissler criticized Spahn’s demand as “a disrespect for the lifetime achievements of hard-working people and a pension cut through the back door”. You cannot fight the shortage of skilled workers by increasing the retirement age. “That makes many jobs less attractive.” Good working conditions, the strengthening of collective agreements, more training and apprenticeships are necessary. Greens expert Frank Bsirske warned in the “Bild am Sonntag” that employees in care and daycare centers, for example, simply could not work until the age of 67. For them, an end to retirement at 63 would have “fatal consequences”.
The regulation was introduced in 2014 by the then black-red federal government and is aimed at “particularly long-term insured persons” who have paid contributions for at least 45 years. Those born before 1953 could retire at 63 with no deductions. For young people who were born before 1963, the age limit for this is gradually increasing. From the birth cohort of 1964 onwards, it is again 65 years, as stated in general information from the German pension insurance.
When introduced, the government had forecast around 200,000 claimants per year for this full pension. But then there were tens of thousands more each year, for example 268,957 in 2021. There are already around two million in total. The Federal Institute for Population Research announced at the end of 2022 that people are more likely to retire early. According to this, many retire at the age of 63 or 64 – well before the standard retirement age. According to the institute, in 2021 almost every third person would access the old-age pension via the pension at 63. In addition, people retire before the standard retirement age more often and accept deductions in the amount of the pension.
Strong criticism
The head of the German Trade Union Confederation (DGB), Yasmin Fahimi, told the “Rheinische Post”: “Anyone who wants to let those who are already at the limit continue to work is very far removed from the real working world of many.” The FDP politician Pascal Kober told the “Welt”: “The CDU is increasingly saying goodbye to the top performers in our country.” Instead of starting with those who would have worked the most for prosperity, it should become more attractive to work longer voluntarily. Ulrike Schielke-Ziesing (AfD) summarized Spahn’s initiative with the words: “There are fewer pensions, or work until you drop.”
The managing director of the employer-financed “Initiative Neue Soziale Marktwirtschaft”, Thorsten Alsleben, told the “Bild am Sonntag”: “The pension at 63 no longer fits into the time and must expire by the end of 2030 at the latest.” It costs the contributors billions and also exacerbates the shortage of skilled workers. As the initiative announced on Monday, a study commissioned by the Prognos Institute showed that retirement at 63 took away more than 200,000 employees from the labor market last year alone. Without the regulation, the shortage of skilled workers would be around 10 to 20 percent smaller.
FDP Vice Johannes Vogel spoke out in favor of a “self-determined, flexible retirement age”. Everyone should be able to decide for themselves when to retire. “If you work longer, you get a bigger pension.” CDU leader Friedrich Merz told the “Süddeutsche Zeitung” (Saturday) that one could probably not avoid working more with an ever longer life expectancy. “Otherwise, our pension system will no longer be financially viable.”