Society: “Respectless”: Idea for the year of pensioners meets criticism

The proposal of the economist Marcel Fratzscher for the introduction of a mandatory social year for pensioners and controversial statements by the scientist about the older generation have triggered criticism and objection.

The Social Association of Germany (SOVD) rejected accusations of the President of the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW) from a current “Spiegel” interview, according to which the so-called Boomer generation (between the mid-1950s to the end of the 1960s) received too few children. “Why should the boys only stand for these life decisions of the baby boomers?” Fratzscher asked.

“We find it disrespectful”

“The” life decision “of not getting four children took place in millions for financial reasons,” said SOVD boss Michaela Engelmeier of the German Press Agency and referred to an increased need to gain for gainful employment for both partners due to increasing costs. “Now to make them a rope that one had to get involved in the penalty in retirement age, we find it disrespectful,” added Engelmeier.

Criticism also comes from the German Trade Union Confederation (DGB): “We reject a compulsory year for pensioners. Anyone who has worked for decades is definitely a retirement. We warn against playing generations against each other with such suggestions,” said DGB board member Anja Piel the dpa. “The question of who actually lives on whose costs is a question between rich and poor, i.e. between capital and work, and not between the generations.”

Fratzscher: “More solidarity of the old with the boys”

The DIW President had criticized in the “Spiegel”, solutions of problems such as lack of personnel in areas such as care, health or defense were often burdened by the boys and a fairer distribution of the burdens. “We need more solidarity of the old ones with the boys,” said Fratzscher.

“We should introduce a mandatory social year for all pensioners. Some will not be able to do this, but there are also regulations for young people,” suggested the 54-year-old. With a view to the defense area, Fratzscher explained that technical skills would be needed. “Why shouldn’t we use them, especially by people who were previously trained in the Bundeswehr?”

The AfD social politician René Springer wrote at X: “This is a slap in the face of our elders. Anyone who has built this country deserves respect and a safe pension-no compulsory services.” BSW founder Sahra Wagenknecht said the suggestion that “old people who have worked for their lives and that they are often fed up with poverty pensions in Germany” can hardly be imposed on cynicism.

New generation debate?

Fratzscher deals with the topic of generation justice in a book that will appear next week. In the “Spiegel” interview, he accuses the older generation “too much ignorance, self-centeredness and naivety”. The load for the young generation must remain sustainable. The sociologist and generational researcher Klaus Hurrelmann (81) had also spoken out for a social mandatory service for seniors “at the end of their working life”. Social tasks such as strengthening defense ability should be carried by all generations.

Pensioner service and “Boomer-Soli”

The proposal for a pensioner service is not the only controversial advance from Fratzscher’s DIW. In mid-July, the institute had already campaigned for a “Boomer Soli”-a special solidarity tax on all age income. This could be an important building block to stabilize the pension system in Germany.

The solos would due to all age income of seniors whose income level is one of the top 20 percent, explained Fratzscher in the “Spiegel”. Officials and self -employed and “also wealthy with five properties” would deposit. “To do so would be the 40 percent pensioners with the lowest income.”