In an interview with T-Online, Schwesig said the reforms in health, care, and pensions were hitting exactly those who work every day and keep the country running. When it comes to pensions, those who have paid in the longest are the first to be targeted.
The SPD politician criticized that people who retire after 45 years of contributions would effectively receive less money due to deductions. With an average pension of 1,300 euros in eastern Germany, she could not support such a cut.
Schwesig rejected the call by Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) and Labor Minister Bärbel Bas (SPD) to implement the pension commission’s recommendations unchanged. She demanded talks with the federal states and stressed that it makes a difference whether someone starts working at 16 or at 26.
She dismissed the accusation that her resistance jeopardizes the entire reform as a threat. She also criticized Karin Prien (CDU) for rejecting the contribution-free kindergarten – in eastern Germany, it mainly benefits small and medium incomes.
Source: www.welt.de
