Junge Union: Merz wants to take the wind out of Scholz’s sails with a pension promise

Union Chancellor candidate Friedrich Merz wants to take the wind out of Chancellor Olaf Scholz and his SPD’s sails in the federal election campaign with a clear commitment to retirement at 67. “We need a statutory retirement age. And this statutory retirement age should remain at 67,” said the CDU chairman at the Junge Union’s (JU) Germany Day in Halle in Saxony-Anhalt, despite a unanimous decision by the Union’s junior members for massive changes in pension policy . The Union faction leader assured: “No, there will be no pension cuts in Germany.”

For him, the most important target group in the election campaign was the hard-working employees, said Merz. “Without the majority of workers in Germany, we will not win a federal election,” he added. The CDU and CSU must look at the top performers “who keep the business running,” cried the CDU leader, adding: “This is the most important group of voters for us.” This is also likely to be aimed primarily at the SPD, which has always seen itself as the party of the workers.

Merz gets the party’s young people in the mood for the election campaign – and is applauded

Merz got the approximately 300 delegates in the mood for the eleven months until the regular election date on September 28, 2025 with a speech that was partly like a government declaration. He said he has been party leader for 1,000 days to the day. In the 75 years since the Basic Law came into existence, the Union has only been in opposition three times. “Once 13 years, once seven years and now it’s three. Three and a half would be good.” He added to the jubilation of the JU: “We are determined to put this time behind us in the opposition and to take on government responsibility for Germany again.”

Staging by Merz almost like the US election campaign

The young people of the party had celebrated the opposition leader for minutes before his speech. On the huge screen behind him, a lettering with the word “Chancellor” in white on the black, red and gold German flag was shown in full width. After the speech, Merz brought numerous JU members onto the stage, who held up white and blue signs with the inscription “Merz 2025” in addition to “Chancellor” posters. The production was partly reminiscent of the US election campaign.

Merz: Infamous pension campaign by the SPD

The candidate for chancellor promoted his course in pension policy to the Junge Union. Anyone who wants to retire earlier must accept that there are larger discounts, said Merz. On the other hand, anyone who wants to retire later “must have good incentives to stay longer and work longer.” If we agree on this path, “then we will deprive the Social Democrats of any potential to wage an infamous campaign against us that says: With the CDU and Merz, there will be pension cuts in Germany,” he added.

Junge Union: Link retirement age to life expectancy

Shortly before Merz’s appearance, the JU unanimously passed a key motion in which it called for massive changes to pension policy in order to avoid overburdening the younger generation. In order to strengthen the pay-as-you-go pension system and to correct the ratio of contributors to pension recipients as life expectancy increases, “it is necessary to link the retirement age to life expectancy,” says the resolution.

In addition, the so-called double holding line in pension policy should not be extended beyond 2025, demands the JU. The “holding line” guarantees a minimum pension level of 48 percent and a maximum contribution rate of 20 percent. “In order to distribute the burden fairly among the generations, the previous pension level limit of 43 percent should apply again,” demands the Union’s young generation.

Concession to the Conservatives?

In a question and answer session, Merz assured that he would not advocate for the liberalization of Section 218 on abortion. In mid-October, an alliance of associations presented a draft to legalize abortions. This provides for abortions in the first 22 weeks to be regulated outside of the criminal code and for the abolition of the legal paragraphs on which criminal liability is based.

Germany currently does not need such a “major social conflict,” warned Merz. The current compromise does not satisfy everyone. But social peace should not be put at risk on this issue. According to Section 218 of the Criminal Code, an abortion is fundamentally illegal in Germany, but not punishable if it takes place within the first twelve weeks and the woman has sought advice beforehand. Abortion also remains unpunished if there are medical reasons or if it is carried out because of rape.