As of: March 15, 2024, 10:08 a.m
By: Mark Stoffers
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The pension package also caused criticism on the ZDF talk show “Maybrit Illner”.
Two experts are not afraid to criticize Pension Package II.
Berlin – On “Maybrit Illner” the guests on the ZDF program discussed the new Ampel pension package, which Labor Minister Hubertus Heil (SPD) and Christian Lindner (FDP) recently presented.
After the first civil servants started storming against the pension reform, the SPD politician had to listen to a lot of criticism from the guests on the panel.
In particular, the economist Monika Schnitzer, who, like her colleague Martin Werding, sees the young generation as being “most burdened” by pension reform, and the editor-in-chief of
Finanztip,
Hermann-Josef Tenhagen, were particularly concerned in the discussion about pension package II has already been dismantled by other experts, causing a stir.
Guests at Maybrit Illner: topic of the ZDF broadcast
Hubertus Heil (SPD):
Federal Minister for Labor and Social Affairs, deputy party chairman
Franziska Brandmann (FDP):
Federal Chairwoman of the Young Liberals
Verena Bentele:
President of the social association VdK
Monika Schnitzer:
Professor of Economics at the LMU Munich and “Wirtschaftsweise”
Hermann-Josef Tenhagen:
Editor-in-chief, publisher and managing director of “Finanztipp”
New traffic light pension package: Expert expresses suspicion – “The pension itself doesn’t help”
In particular, the expert, publisher and editor-in-chief of the consumer portal
Finanztip,
Hermann-Josef Tenhagen, was critical of the traffic light coalition's pension reform plans.
“This is actually a political reform, it is not an economic reform,” explained Tenhagen in Maybrit Illner’s ZDF talk.
“Politically, they say we will reach 35 million people directly, 20 million pensioners and 15 million baby boomers, and we promise the others that it will stay that way.
This is core social democratic territory, if one promises so.
And we’ll get entry into stock pensions, which is FDP core territory.”
Then the editor-in-chief of Finanztip talked about the core of the topic in the ZDF broadcast.
“The question is, does this really bring the pension further?” he asked the discussion group before he began to answer himself.
“And my real suspicion is that the pension itself won’t help.”
Consumer expert criticizes Heil and Lindner for new pension reform: “They have slimmed down”
In addition to the wage gap between men and women in Germany, the expert came to the core of his criticism of the traffic light's new pension package: lifetime working time.
“The two ministers have made themselves thin,” Tenhagen criticized Labor Minister Heil and Finance Minister Christian Lindner for their appearance at the press conference for the new pension reform.
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Guests of Maybrit Illner: Hubertus Heil (SPD, left), Monika Schnitzer and Hermann-Josef Tenhagen.
© Screenshots Maybrit Illner/ZDF
The two ministers said there that they had to ensure that people had to work longer.
“But not now and not obligatory.”
In Tenhagen's opinion, this could be done; he also cited the examples from Japan and South Korea, where people are already working longer hours than is legally required.
“I don’t know whether that’s possible in Europe or in Germany.
I think there is too much slender footing for a reform pact.
Politically I understand that very well, they calculated very well.”
Heil addresses criticism of the new pension package: “A blunt increase in the retirement age is a pension cut”
Heil addressed the criticisms of Tenhagen's new pension package, but added in advance: "Now I would like to try to pick up a few balls," the Labor Minister began.
“It is true that the adjustment screws are essentially decided on the labor market.
The more people are in work, the better the wage development, the more stable the statutory pension.
Firstly, that is a fact.”
“The statutory pension is the mainstay of old-age security for most people.
The reality is that most employees can rely on the statutory pension.” Heil now turns to working life and finds clear words for a mandatory increase in the retirement age.
“We need flexible transitions.
A blunt increase in the statutory retirement age, which Ms. Schnitzer, for example, and many from the CDU/CSU represents, would be nothing other than a reduction in pensions for many people, because many people would then retire earlier but would have to accept reductions.
New pension package with Maybrit Illner on ZDF: Good thing is for incentives so that pensioners can voluntarily work longer
What's important is that people actually have a chance to work longer.
“And if they want to work longer voluntarily, I’m also up for incentives, but not for us to lump everyone together,” Heil continued in Maybrit Illner’s ZDF broadcast.
Heil, on the other hand, speaks of a system “that people have to rely on”.
He assures: “The pensioners have earned their pension.” And he continues: “It annoys me that people are trying to play the generations off against each other.” However, the Federal Minister of Labor also has to admit this.
“You’re right, it will cost something.”
Economics renewed criticism of pension package II: “Don’t let pensions rise so much”
The forecast costs of pension expenses were then shown on a graphic in Maybrit Illner's ZDF broadcast.
These are set at 327.4 billion euros in 2024 and would rise to 802 billion euros by 2045, according to calculations by the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs.
In order to be able to manage these future pension payments, Schnitzer, an economist, only sees one path, which she had already outlined in an interview with the Augsburger Allgemeine on Monday.
In your opinion, the stock pension will not be enough.
For Schnitzer, the rumored annual ten billion in generational capital is “not even a drop in the ocean” compared to the costs.
That's homeopathic." For economist Monika Schnitzer, the solution to retirement is: "Work more.
“To work longer,” she explains.
“This is something that helps and prevents pensions from rising so much.” However, this is not that popular.
Heil at Maybrit Illner: “Pension level of 48 percent will be permanently enshrined in law”
However, another statement from Labor Minister Heil could be more popular.
He explained in Maybrit Illner's ZDF program when asked why the pension level is not permanently guaranteed?
“So in the draft law we want to guarantee them permanently, we have now secured this until 2039, but it is written in the law that it will be the case that the pension level of 48 percent” will be permanently fixed. Heil and Lindner want to do this “stabilize” the pension with the new pension package.
Heil's words referred to an initiative by the chairwoman of the German Trade Union Confederation, Yasmin Fahimi.
This considers the promise to keep the pension level stable at 48 percent until 2040 to be inadequate.
“At least it’s the right signal.
But actually it would require a permanent commitment.
Then the generational contract also works,” Fahimi told “Bild am Sonntag”.
By permanently, the DGB boss means “forever”.
For Heil, it is also about ensuring that not only the pensioners and employees, who are the main concerns, but also future generations can rely on the statutory pension.