CDU's worker wing, the CDA, has agreed on a pension concept and is appealing to Chancellor Friedrich Merz with it. The plan calls for expanding the three-pillar system and reducing labor costs. The motion is set to be passed at the federal convention in Marburg this weekend.
The pension debate within the CDU is gaining momentum. The Christian Democratic Workers' Movement (CDA) has developed a unified position on the future of social systems. Chairman Dennis Radtke views it as a signal to Merz to pay more attention to workers' interests.
The motion, obtained by Handelsblatt, advocates preserving and expanding the three pillars of old-age provision: statutory pension, occupational, and capital-funded schemes. Unlike Merz, who early this week in Berlin described the statutory pension as "at most the basic security," the CDA does not reduce it to mere basic coverage. That statement had upset coalition partner SPD.
The federal convention in Marburg carries the motto "Social market economy with a big S." Chancellor Merz will speak there and field questions from delegates. The CDA aims to make occupational and private provision mandatory to lower labor costs.
