Germany will gradually raise its retirement age to about 70 by the early 2090s under recommendations backed by the chancellor, Friedrich Merz, as a means of future-proofing the pension system for an ageing population.
Presenting its findings on Tuesday, an expert commission set up to explore reforms to the pension system said retirement age should be linked to rising life expectancy and early retirement should be scrapped.
“No citizen needs to worry,” said Merz, as he said the measures would prevent the collapse of the creaking pension system and strengthen the social contract between generations. Young people, he argued, would be given a “reason for optimism” by the measures, which would “lift a tremendous burden” from their shoulders.
The commission of experts sat for long daily sessions from January until its 33-point plan was presented on Tuesday.
Among its key recommendations are for the obligatory contributions made by workers and employers to be invested in the stock market in order to increase and safeguard the fund’s value for future generations. It also proposed expanding compulsory pension contributions to include civil servants and self-employed workers. » | Kate Connolly in Berlin | Tuesday, June 23, 2026
Die armen Deutschen! Von nun an müssen sie sich bis zur völligen Erschöpfung abrackern! Wenn sie Glück haben, erhalten sie dann als Gegenleistung eine staatliche Rente, für die sie ihr ganzes Leben lang eingezahlt haben. Doch wie lange werden sie diese Zahlungen wohl beziehen können? Meiner Meinung nach wäre es besser und gerechter, die Milliardäre stärker zu besteuern. Auf diese Weise könnten hart arbeitende Menschen ihren Ruhestand noch einige Jahre lang genießen. – © Mark Alexander
