Germany: Left Party could help pass controversial pension bill

(CLO) Germany's opposition Left Party (Die Linke) has announced it will abstain from voting on a controversial pension bill package.

This is a move that will likely indirectly ensure the bill's passage and help Chancellor Friedrich Merz avoid a significant political defeat.

The bill is a key pillar of the deal between Chancellor Merz's conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU/CSU) and its Social Democratic partners, which aims to maintain state pensions at current levels until 2031. However, the bill's passage has been seriously jeopardized by fierce opposition from the conservative party's own youth wing.

Mr. Friedrich Merz on the day of his inauguration. Screenshot.

These young lawmakers argue that the bill perpetuates a system that is financially unsustainable in an aging population, burdening future generations. With a slim majority of just 12 votes, this internal resistance has put the coalition at risk of defeat. The impasse has unexpectedly given the opposition Left Party the power to decide the bill's fate.

Breaking the deadlock, Heidi Reichinnek, the parliamentary leader of the Left Party, announced that her lawmakers would abstain. She insisted the decision was made to protect pensioners, not to help the ruling coalition, and accused the conservatives of “playing a power game on the backs of millions of people”.

Ms Reichinnek put the party's position firmly on hold, declaring: "It will not be our fault if pensions are not stable", and arguing that maintaining the state pension at 48% of average wages is "the absolute minimum".

If 64 Left Party MPs actually abstained rather than opposed the bill, the ruling coalition would need fewer votes to pass it – and would not have to worry about 18 potentially 'rebellious' young Conservative MPs who have yet to declare which way they will vote.

Source: https://congluan.vn/duc-dang-canh-ta-co-the-giup-thong-qua-du-luat-luong-huu-gay-tranh-cai-10320314.html