I Really Don't See Any Room for Negotiation, the CDU Politician Told Welt TV, Adding That the Commitment to Implement the Recommendations

No, I really don't see any room for negotiation, the CDU politician told Welt TV, adding that the commitment to implement the recommendations in full, including the abolition of the pension after 45 contribution years without deductions, will be kept. The plan has drawn growing criticism from eastern state leaders, SPD politicians, and the CDU's workers' wing. Seven of Germany's 16 state premiers now oppose the abolition, including five eastern state leaders: Manuela Schwesig (SPD, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania), Michael Kretschmer (CDU, Saxony), Mario Voigt (CDU, Thuringia), Sven Schulze (CDU, Saxony-Anhalt), and Dietmar Woidke (SPD, Brandenburg).

Saarland's Anke Rehlinger (SPD) and Bremen's Andreas Bovenschulte (SPD) also want to keep the scheme. Rehlinger called the proposal a "great injustice" on ZDF's "heute journal, saying it would be normal to adjust details in the parliamentary process without unraveling the whole package. Schulze stressed the criticism targets not the entire package but the need to address specific eastern German concerns.

Jochen Ott, the SPD's top candidate for the 2027 North Rhine-Westphalia state election, argued that those who started working at 15 and paid contributions for decades must retain the option to retire without deductions, calling it "recognition for a long working life. Dennis Radtke, head of the Christian Democratic Workers' Association, demanded reliable transition rules for long-term insured people and a practical answer for those in demanding jobs, while reiterating his call to halt the third stage of the mothers' pension, saying it's "not explainable" to spend an additional five billion euros annually amid savings pressure. Frei, formerly head of the Chancellery, dismissed critics, saying he sees no reason why politicians should reach "smarter decisions" than the pension commission.

He urged responsible politicians to take a holistic view and "go along with something" even if not fully desired. Schleswig-Holstein's Daniel Günther (CDU) also opposed reopening the package, as did economist Martin Werding, a former commission member, who warned that removing one group would "blow up" the entire package.