Rhineland-Palatinate's Minister President Alexander Schweitzer has demanded that artificial intelligence must contribute to the pension system. In an interview in Mainz, the SPD politician emphasized the need to strengthen statutory pensions and create incentives for company and private retirement savings. The pension commission is to present reform proposals by mid-2026.
Alexander Schweitzer, Minister President of Rhineland-Palatinate and deputy federal SPD chairman, expressed his expectations for the pension commission in an interview with the German Press Agency in Mainz. The 13-member commission, co-chaired by Constanze Janda, rector of the German University of Administrative Sciences Speyer, is to develop proposals for a fundamental reform of old-age security by mid-2026.
Schweitzer called for strengthening the statutory pension "so that it enables people to lead a reasonable life." He stated: "Those who work diligently should feel in retirement: My life's work is honored and I am not – even though I have always worked and raised children – dependent on going to the welfare office."
Regarding company pensions, he criticized that in an economically strong country, too few people have access to them. "The federal government must set incentives for this. And it must make clear: Wherever possible, a company pension must be offered," he demanded. This would qualify companies as good employers amid the skilled labor shortage.
For private retirement savings, Schweitzer advocated better incentives than the previous Riester products, especially for low-income earners: "There are people for whom there simply isn't enough left at the end of the month."
A central issue is the role of AI: "In an employment society shaped by automation, robotics, and AI, we must emphasize the contribution of these productivity advances more strongly in social security systems." He posed the question: "The pension commission must also consider: How does AI pay into the pension system?"
On the debate about longer working lives, Schweitzer warned that not all professions can be performed until old age, such as caregivers or teachers. "Work longer, even if you can no longer do it and wear yourselves out, that is not a solidarity-based vision of smart old-age security," he said. Instead, flexible models and generation-appropriate personnel policies are needed.
The federal government should define milestones to avoid overburdening the commission.
