Wem helfen die Rentenpläne - und wem nicht? Mit Marcel Fratzscher

The pension commission has presented its proposals for what it calls a future-proof and generationally fair pension system to Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) and Labor Minister Bärbel Bas (SPD). Among other things, the 13 commission members recommend linking the retirement age to life expectancy, abolishing the so-called "retirement at 63," and making contributions to the statutory pension insurance mandatory for the self-employed and members of parliament. In addition, there is a completely new pension component: those with statutory insurance will be able to take out a capital annuity based on the Swedish model. These proposals have drawn criticism from trade unions, social organizations, and business associations. Merz and Bas say they want to implement all recommendations as soon as possible. They insist there will be no "cherry-picking," meaning the exclusion of unpopular proposals. But how realistic is that? Among those criticizing individual proposals is Marcel Fratzscher, President of the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW). Anne Will discusses the potential impact of the pension plans with him. Fratzscher fears that these measures will do nothing to address the problem of poverty among the elderly, that the younger generation will continue to bear the brunt of the burden – and he criticizes the continued exclusion of civil servants from the statutory pension system. The editorial deadline for this episode was June 23, 2026, at 3 p.m. LISTEN TO THE PODCAST AD-FREE Become a member of "Politics with Anne Will" for €4.99 per month and listen to the podcast completely ad-free in the podcast app of your choice. All information at: https://will-media.de/mitglied-werden... ADVERTISING AND DISCOUNTS: https://linktr.ee/werbungannewill Would you like to advertise in our podcast? Then send an email to: [email protected] Politics with Anne Will goes on a live tour - get your tickets now: https://tix.to/politik-mit-anne-will-... October 6, 2026, Hanover November 3, 2026, Berlin IMPORTANT SOURCES: Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs: Recommendations of the Pension Commission, June 23, 2026 https://www.bmas.de/SharedDocs/Downlo... ZEIT: Retirement at 70 is the most socially responsible pension reform, column by Marcel Fratzscher June 19, 2026 https://www.zeit.de/wirtschaft/2026-0... Rheinische Post: Top economist Fratzscher criticizes pension proposals for lack of “courage and consistency”, June 21, 2026 https://rp-online.de/politik/deutschl... SPIEGEL: “We should introduce a mandatory year of community service for all pensioners” August 22, 2025 https://www.spiegel.de/wirtschaft/mar... FAZ: Sweden's pension system is more than a model, May 5, 2026 https://www.faz.net/aktuell/wirtschaf... FAZ: This is how great the resistance to the Swedish pension is, June 23, 2026 https://www.faz.net/aktuell/wirtschaf... BR: BAföG, Parental Allowance, Pensions: Reforms and Intergenerational Fairness, June 6, 2026 https://www.br.de/nachrichten/bayern/... Imprint: Editors: Tobias Jaecker, Melisa Gürleyen Executive Producer: Marie Schiller Producers: Patrick Zahn, Alex Kraudelt Sound Design: Hannes Husten If you would like to advertise, please contact Mit Vergnügen GmbH. A Will Media GmbH Production