Tough Groko-dispute over retirement income for low-income workers: The wound retiree

Coalitions work when one side is willing to give something to the other.

In a functioning coalition, the CDU could have agreed with the social-democratic heart's desire of a land rent without a strict means test, that the gemoser of the business wing would have fizzled out. The SPD, in turn, could have responded to the Union's desire for a total meltdown of the solidarity surcharge, to be able to endure the discontent of the party's left wing. Both would have gone beyond the respective agreements in the coalition agreement - but one would have just granted the other something.

The current grand coalition, however, consists of three partners, of which currently only the CSU is reasonably stable there. The SPD is in a leadership crisis, the output of which no one knows - and the CDU has embarked on a similar path.

So the situation in the dispute over the basic pension has rocked so high that you can really ask: Why do not they separate immediately? The coalition committee scheduled for this Monday has been adjourned and is scheduled to meet next Sunday. But if you will agree then?

Until recently, it seemed as if the CDU had enough generosity capital to agree to at least a basic pension with a limited means test. But at the latest since Friedrich Merz 'major attack on the coalition, it is probably over. Since then, the party is finally in turmoil and the discussion about the authority of the chairman Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer in full swing. Merz explicitly insisted on the basic pension concept of the CDU.

From the sidelines Merz has thus raised the basic pension, which was an existential issue so far only for the SPD, to just as much for the Christian Democrats. The Merz fans have found their topic, the economic wing of the CDU is also fully involved - and even solution-oriented players such as Union faction leader Ralph Brinkhaus now have a problem: The CDU politician had shown in the past few weeks on the subject of basic pension maximum obesity, behind it he hardly returns.

Most recently, the negotiators of the Union and the SPD had come closer to each other in the talks of the respective working group, and an agreement could no longer be ruled out.

The original plan was to present a paper to the coalition round this Monday evening, which was intended to showcase various compromise corridors. The leaders of the Union and the SPD could then have come to an agreement in the Chancellery. With the basic pension, people who receive very little pension despite 35 years of contribution periods should receive a supplement.

It's about a political decision

In the end, it's a political decision. The SPD was in the talks to make as many seniors with the basic pension better. Under 1.5 million, it was said, the number of recipients should not fall. The Union, on the other hand, is careful to ensure that the costs are not too high. Two billion euros was considered by Union stakeholders as an absolute limit.

In order to achieve such values, there are many parameters that have already been discussed in the working group, in addition to some open technical questions. Thus, the full basic pension only long-term insured should receive, whose income is below a certain limit. In the first compromise papers, there was talk of an allowance of 1200 euros for singles, now lower values ​​of around 900 euros are also under discussion. If the income is higher, the basic pension would be credited proportionately or not paid at all - similar to the survivor's pension today.

However, the prerequisite is that the Union and SPD actually agree to examine only the income, but not the assets. As a compromise had suggested that the tax offices in the future send an automated report on the income of senior citizens' households to the pension insurance. The SPD would have come a long way towards the Union - and would have made a reasonably unbureaucratic procedure on the way. While the Social Democrats have been assuming for weeks that the CDU and CSU could agree to this compromise, there is now strong resistance in the Union faction. A report of the "Bild" newspaper, which reported on Saturday about the "buckling" of the CDU negotiators, probably also contributed decisively.

The previous regulation is sufficient

The argument of the CDU resistors: The income test gives no clear information about the underlying financial circumstances and whether the recipients are actually needy or not.

All or nothing? Merz sends greetings. He could imagine nothing better than that the coalition immediately diverges - and he then in possible new elections as Union Chancellor candidate competes.

Especially among young members of the Bundestag the resistance against any accommodation with the social democrats is growing. The Hamburg traffic expert Christoph Ploss and his Baden-Württemberg colleague Felix Schreiber announced to SPIEGEL an application for an alternative to the basic pension for the CDU Federal Party Congress in two and a half weeks. In it, the federal government and parliamentary group should be asked not to grant ground rent without a needs test approval.

This means that the entire assets, including stocks or real estate, are recorded, says Ploss. "Hardly anyone understands why the SPD wants to hand over taxpayer money to people who do not need support, Schreiber says:" We have a clear agreement in the coalition agreement, which we can not fall back on. "

So let the coalition burst, because you can not enforce your own concept for ground rent? For a long time there have been such voices in the SPD, now also in the CDU.

CSU leader Söder calls for agreement

But in the leadership of Christian Democrats and Christsozialen as well as in the SPD one still wants an agreement, CSU boss Markus Söder reminded on Monday again, the government does not fail on the subject of basic pension. At the same time Söder warned against linking an agreement with other questions. Previously, Union politicians had called for tax relief for companies in return for a compromise on the basic pension.

The will to agree on the subject of land rent should also have been the tenor of a telephone conference on Sunday on Union side, therefore, now party leader Kramp-Karrenbauer will personally turn in the negotiations. SPD General Secretary Lars Klingbeil has already called for a word of power from Kramp-Karrenbauer and Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Klingbeil should know best how little a power word in crisis parties is worth.

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