Merz backed the idea of raising the retirement age in Germany — The Guardian
On June 24, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz expressed his support for an initiative to gradually raise the retirement age in Germany. According to him, this issue is linked to the long-term stability of the country’s pension system.
“No citizen should worry about this,” Merz said, adding that such measures would prevent the collapse of the pension system and ensure that young people can count on a guaranteed pension in the future.
On June 23, a special expert commission presented its findings on a possible reform, stating that the retirement age should take into account the country’s increasing life expectancy.
The chancellor stated that “all elements of this reform package must be implemented quickly.”
The German government expects the reform to be approved before the summer recess in July.
Trade unions criticized the government’s proposal, pointing out that raising the retirement age penalizes workers who perform heavy physical labor, from whom high productivity cannot be expected after age 60.
Currently, the retirement age is 66. According to a plan adopted about 20 years ago, it is set to rise to 67 in the 2030s. Now, if the government’s plans are implemented, it could reach around 70 by the 2090s, reports The Guardian.
As a reminder, the European Union has officially begun drafting an accession agreement with Montenegro, signaling the country’s transition to the final stage of European integration.
Ukraine hopes that the European Union will open all six negotiation clusters regarding the country’s accession this year and anticipates the possibility of closing at least one of them by the end of the year.
Ukraine may temporarily forgo some of the benefits of EU membership in order to accelerate the accession process.
