CDU leadership insists on abolishing 'early retirement at 63' despite internal opposition

The leadership of Germany's Christian Democratic Union (CDU) is firmly pushing for the abolition of the "Rente mit 63," a policy allowing penalty-free early retirement after 45 years of contributions. Party leaders, including parliamentary group leader Thorsten Frei and General Secretary Franziska Hoppermann, view this as a crucial component of a broader pension reform package.

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The reform is designed as a balanced overall package. Anyone who singles out individual political points like the 'Rente mit 63' jeopardizes the viability of the compromise.

Hoppermann stated that the reform is designed as a balanced overall package. She warned that isolating specific political points, like the "Rente mit 63," jeopardizes the compromise's viability. The CDU's objective, she added, is to ensure a reliable pension system that acknowledges lifelong contributions while remaining financially sustainable for younger generations.

Frei echoed this sentiment, calling the pension commission's proposal on early retirement "completely right" and "a truly clever suggestion." He affirmed his personal commitment to implementing the commission's overall plan, a sentiment shared by CDU Chairman Friedrich Merz and Labor Minister Bärbel Bas (SPD), who both expressed willingness to adopt all recommendations.

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The pension commission's proposal on the 'Rente mit 63' is completely right and a truly clever suggestion.

However, a significant internal rift has emerged, with the CDU state premiers of Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Thuringia openly opposing the commission's recommendation. In a letter to the federal government, they defended the "Rente mit 63," asserting that individuals who have paid into the system for 45 years have contributed enough and should be allowed to retire without penalty. Mario Voigt of Thuringia specifically highlighted the importance of this principle for eastern Germany, while Michael Kretschmer of Saxony threatened to block the reform in the Bundesrat (Federal Council). The youth wing of the CDU, Junge Union, has also cautioned against "reckless games" with the pension reform plans.

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Whoever has paid in for 45 years has paid in enough. We will not give up this principle.