Junge Union leader Johannes Winkel proposes reducing the July 1 pension increase to 3 percent to finance the planned BAföG raise.
Johannes Winkel, head of the Junge Union, has called for reducing the July 1 pension increase from 4.2 to 3 percent. The freed-up funds should finance the planned BAföG increase and prevent cuts to Elterngeld. Winkel told Bild newspaper that all three benefits were agreed in the coalition contract, yet savings must be distributed fairly given the budget situation. He urged the black-red coalition under Chancellor Friedrich Merz to stand up for the younger generation. The pension adjustment rests on wage growth data from the Federal Statistical Office and stands at 4.25 percent for 2026. Government spokesman Stefan Kornelius and other Union politicians had already flagged financing reservations for social benefits.
