CDU and SPD Face Internal Resistance Over Pension Reform Plans

The German government is facing internal opposition regarding a proposed pension reform that includes the abolition of the penalty free early retirement after 45 years of contributions. While Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Labor Minister Bärbel Bas have expressed support for implementing the concept in its entirety, several CDU state premiers and SPD members have voiced resistance. Thorsten Frei, the Union parliamentary group leader, maintains that the reform is a balanced compromise between generations and parties, though he acknowledges the need for hardship and transitional rules to cushion the impact. These safeguards, which are already part of the commission's concept, would specifically target individuals unable to work until the standard retirement age for health reasons and those nearing retirement. Thuringia's Minister President Mario Voigt has called for greater precision in the rules to avoid unintended benefits, while other premiers from Saxony and Saxony Anhalt have openly opposed the abolition of the early retirement option. Center left sources frame the situation differently: one emphasizes the technical necessity of a balanced century reform, while another frames the opposition as a rebellion from Eastern Germany driven by the electoral growth of the far right.