Wüst calls for a quick draft bill for pension reform from Labor Minister Bas

North Rhine-Westphalia's Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst (CDU) is calling on Federal Labor Minister Bärbel Bas (SPD) to quickly present a draft law for the planned pension reform. It would be “so incredibly good if Ms. Bas would simply present a bill now. We could talk about the matter and move forward," said Wüst at a conference organized by the news portal "The Pioneer" in Berlin.

Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) and Labor Minister Bas decided in the summer to view the proposals of the government-appointed pension commission as a “total work of art” that cannot be changed. Wüst said: "So let's finish painting this total work of art and thereby show a little that this federal government is capable of acting and has done such a big job."

Then the debate would be easier to conduct - also for the SPD, said Wüst. “If there is a good regulation for people who have simply worked physically for many years and decades and can no longer do it, and you have a good solution for that, a better solution, that's fine. The pressure is out there too.” Wüst was referring to the controversial debate about the planned abolition of the early pension without deductions after 45 years of contributions. In the SPD there is primarily resistance to the abolition of this regulation. But several CDU prime ministers have also spoken out against it.