In the dispute over pension package II, FDP politicians are pushing for noticeable changes and want to significantly restrict the use of pensions at 63.
Negotiated by FDP leader Lindner with Economics Minister Habeck and Social Affairs Minister Heil, but resentment is spreading in the FDP parliamentary group.
The parliamentary group’s pension policy spokesman, Pascal Kober, told “Bild am Sonntag”: “We have to take note of the reality when it comes to retirement at 63. It is very expensive and harms the job market. This must now be incorporated into the parliamentary discussions on pension package II. Because one thing is clear: pension costs must come down.”
FDP General Secretary Bijan Djir-Sarai takes the same line: “The statistics show that retirement at 63 takes valuable skilled workers away from the labor market. In view of the shortage of skilled workers, politicians must conduct the debate fairly and objectively.” Anyone who wants to work longer should be able to do so “under attractive conditions,” explained Djir-Sarai. As a result, 300,000 people will retire in 2023 – a record number.
And the FDP financial expert Max Mordhorst suggests only allowing low earners to retire at 63. Mordhorst told “Bild am Sonntag”: “It is conceivable, for example, that in the future the pension at 63 will only be possible for low earners.” In the medium term, it must be completely abolished. “The so-called pension at 63 costs the state billions and ours every year economy even more so by depriving it of numerous skilled workers every year. We shouldn’t afford such demographically absurd election gifts,” said Mordhorst.
The Ministry of Labor led by Hubertus Heil (SPD) and the Ministry of Finance led by Christian Lindner (FDP) agreed in March to partially fund the statutory pension insurance. The pension level is to be set at 48 percent for the period after 2025 to 2029. The contributions are expected to increase in the medium term, to 22.3 percent by 2035.
However, there have been calls for improvements from the ranks of the FDP for a long time. The FDP parliamentary group in the Bundestag had announced that it would not approve the pension package in its current form in the Bundestag. She calls for a smaller increase in pension contributions from 2028 and an expansion of the so-called stock pension.