When will the draft bill for pension reform be introduced?

The pension reform is to come. Everyone in the black-and-red coalition agrees on this. On the details and the timetable, however, opinions continue to diverge – also among the group leaders. In the black-and-red coalition, there are still differences over the implementation of the planned pension reform – especially the possible abolition of the deduction-free pension after 45 contribution years and the timetable for the reform. In the ARD program "Caren Miosga", the parliamentary group leaders of the Union and SPD, Thorsten Frei and Matthias Miersch, said yesterday evening that the pension reform would be jointly approved. However, differences also emerged. Frei insisted on speed and called for a swift bill of the Ministry of labor, so that one could talk about details. The debate so far has taken place "in a vacuum". Only on the basis of a concrete legal text can meaningful advice be given on the design. Free: Previous debate "in a vacuum" The CDU politician pointed out that the Union insisted on treating the 33 recommendations of the pension commission as an overall package. This is the lesson from the transfer of the citizen money to the basic security. There can be no "buffet", "where you find out what fits and what does not", so Frei. Transitional periods and protection regulations in the proposed by the pension commission pension-free pension after 45 contribution years could be discussed, he said direction of the new Minister of labour Alexander Schweitzer. Merz wants draft later this year in the Cabinet The SPD politician Schweitzer took over the Ministry of Labour after the resignation of Bärbel Bas a week ago. In recent months, he had spoken out against the abolition of the "pension with 63". At the weekend, he said that pension reform “may and must take place political debates”. He strives for a "good compromise" and has assured Chancellor Friedrich Merz to work quickly and thoroughly. Merz had recently stated that it remains the case that the bill on pension reform should be passed in the Cabinet this year and in the first quarter of 2027 in the Bundestag. Only recently, the CDU chief had to postpone the target for the resolution of the pension reform in the Bundestag from the end of the year to the spring. Miersch calls for “justice check” SPD parliamentary group leader Miersch did not want to set a time for a bill and demanded training time for the new Minister of labour. In particular, the planned abolition of the deduction-free pension must be examined more closely from his point of view. Many people would have focused their working lives on this regulation. He pointed out that three CDU prime ministers also argued so. “We would have been powdered with the staple bag, now simply to proceed according to the motto ‘eyes close and through’.” We need a “justice check.” Miersch doubted the figures of the pension commission that the adherence to the deduction-free pension after 45 contribution years cost ten billion euros. Bas' resignation continues to occupy the coalition Also the circumstances of the resignation of Bas had recently caused tensions in the coalition. Bas had resigned after the death of her stepdaughter as SPD chief and labor minister and had complained about personal attacks also from the ranks of the coalition partner. Mecklenburg-Western Pomeranian Prime Minister Manuela Schwesig accused the Union of behaving "inhumanely" towards Bas. SPD leader Lars Klingbeil described the behavior of the Union as "indecent". At "Caren Miosga" Frei reiterated irritations in his party about the statements. They’ve gone too far, of course, that’s quite obvious. The choice of words was excessive and did not hit the situation, so Frei. Miersch said about the CDU/CSU: "There were these perpetual attacks." In his group, there had been great concern about Bas' withdrawal. “And maybe then you don’t have to weigh every word three times in order not to get the insinuation, you wanted to endanger this grand coalition.” Both he and Frei stressed the stability of the black-red coalition.