Lack of Clear Objectives Jeopardises Pension Reform

Employers' President Dr. Rainer Dulger on the Establishment of the Pensions Commission:

Lack of Clear Objectives Jeopardises Pension Reform

Berlin, 17 December 2025. “The decisions on pensions were wrong. However, they came with the promise that a Pensions Commission would ensure the long-term financial sustainability of the system. That sounded like a genuine will to reform.

Today, the government has set up the Pensions Commission without a clear objective and without a binding mandate. This is yet another example of political complacency and resembles a political blind flight. Commissions without a goal are like a car without an engine. The members of the commission now bear even greater responsibility in their work. They deserve every possible support.

In times of major fiscal challenges, merely issuing non-binding review mandates is not enough. Above all, the federal government has failed to provide the commission with a clear guideline: that further burdens on contributors and taxpayers must be prevented. Without this stipulation, contribution rates to the pension system are set to rise significantly from 2028 onwards, while at the same time the pension package drains the federal budget and stifles any room for manoeuvre.

Without clear guidelines, the commission will remain ineffective – and the bill will be paid by contributors and taxpayers.”