Experts warn that the German pension system can only be financed if the entry age is increased further.
But the view should go beyond the national borders.
Berlin / Munich - In Germany, the debate about a further increase in the retirement age is boiling after it became known that a committee of experts from the federal government or Peter Altmaier's economic department (CDU) considers retirement at 68 to be inevitable.
A new study even predicts a worse scenario and believes a more drastic step is necessary.
However, there are good reasons to also direct the focus abroad in the horror scenario for the German pension system created by economists: After all, the German budget is by no means only subsidizing pension insurance because it has long since ceased to cover the necessary needs.
German pensioners disadvantaged?
"Financing expensive pension systems in southern Europe"
There are serious differences between the EU member states in terms of coverage after the end of working life. Weeks ago, Prof. Bernd Raffelhüschen from the University of Freiburg
spoke
in
Bild
about the suspicion that countries like Italy or France are maintaining their much more ample pensions with German aid. Otherwise these countries would be forced to adapt their pension systems themselves.
The reproach made by the controversial economist is enormous - but it doesn't sound absurd: "Germany helps finance the expensive pension systems of the southern European countries through grants," the 63-year-old is convinced - and adds a reason: In the course of the billion-dollar Corona The EU's aid program would put a lot of money into necessary reform projects - but also plug the financial holes in the domestic welfare system.
The claim is concretized with examples of lavish donations for Italy (65 billion) or Spain (59 billion) - not on the basis of loans, but as money that is not repaid.
In many southern European countries, for example, people would “work shorter hours and therefore collect their pensions for longer”.
What is it about the thesis?
If you compare the pension systems of certain EU countries, the German population does indeed appear to be in a worse position:
Germany: In this country
, the statutory retirement age is being gradually adjusted from 65 to 67, the contribution rate in Germany is currently 18.6 percent (employer and employee each split half).
There is a pension level of 51.9 percent of net income, according to an evaluation by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) 2019.
The average total working time of the population is 39.1 years before retirement.
Pension systems in Italy, France and Co .: Retirement in other EU countries
Italy:
Italians can look forward to the highest percentage pension payment of all EU citizens. 91.8 percent of the last net income is transferred to pensioners, while the entry age is comparatively low: after just 35 years of work, the population is entitled to the full pension. The average working time is said to be 32.0 years. However, there are downsides to this: The earnings in professional life are lower on average, and Italians also pay pension contributions of 33 percent of the salary, as the
picture shows
. The employee takes on two thirds of this.
Austria:
In the southern neighboring country, people retire at the age of 65, but they get a lot more money in return: on average, apparently 89.9 percent of their last earned income. One reason is that Austria gives its pensioners a 100 percent vacation bonus and a 100 percent Christmas bonus. The pension system is considered to be the German model for other reasons - these calls have not yet been heard by the federal government. However, the contribution rate is higher in the Alpine republic, the greater part is paid by the employer.
France:
In our south-western neighboring country there is reason to be satisfied - 73.6 percent of the last income is in retirement.
The French usually work 35.4 years before they retire.
The pension system in France is considered generous - and President Emmanuel Macron is aware of this condition.
However, the head of state has been generating resistance among the population for a long time when it comes to making adjustments:
Comparison of pension systems: German citizens statistically with fewer reference years
According to the analysis, it is the people in Iceland who have to work the most: allegedly they only retire after an average working time of 45.8 years.
Compared to Germany, however, the income is higher - 69.8 percent of the net salary.
Incidentally, a report by
Welt am Sonntag also
refers to data from the OECD
: The average pension period in France is 22.7 years for men and 26.9 years for women. Spain comes to 21.7 (men) and 26.6 years (women). And Germany? According to the evaluation, men only receive their pension for 19.1 years and women 22.5 years before life is over. Only in Sweden, according to the statistics, pensioners can enjoy their retirement even less: men 18 years and women 21.3 years.
(PF)
