By Andreas Rinke BERLIN, Dec 2 (Reuters) – Conservative legislators in Germany voted by a large majority in favour of a contested pension reform package in what had been billed as a trial ballot ahead of a full parliamentary vote on the move, people present at the caucus meeting said. The result reduces the risk […]
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German conservatives back pension reform in trial vote ahead of parliamentary test
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By Andreas Rinke
BERLIN, Dec 2 (Reuters) – Conservative legislators in Germany voted by a large majority in favour of a contested pension reform package in what had been billed as a trial ballot ahead of a full parliamentary vote on the move, people present at the caucus meeting said.
The result reduces the risk of further strife within conservative Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s coalition with the Social Democrats, who together have a slender governing majority of only 12 votes in Germany’s parliament.
“There were about 10 votes against and four abstentions,” one person present said, suggesting the overwhelming majority of the 208-member conservative caucus backed the measure.
Some of the nays said they would vote in favour of the measure in Friday’s parliamentary vote despite misgivings, the person added, and caucus leaders said they were confident the vote would pass.
The conservatives’ youth wing and a group of younger conservative legislators have misgivings over the reform, which will keep the state pension at its current level of 48% of the average wage until 2031.
The youth wing fears that the measure, sought especially by the Social Democrats, could ease pressure for the more comprehensive pension reform that they support.
Merz and Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt both spoke strongly in favour of the measure, the person present at the caucus meeting said.
Despite the majority secured in Tuesday’s trial ballot ahead of Friday’s parliamentary vote, some uncertainty persists.
The coalition has repeatedly failed to carry key parliamentary votes, most dramatically at the start of the year, when anonymous dissenters deprived Merz of the majority he needed to be appointed chancellor. He was confirmed in a repeat vote later that day.
“We are confident the conservatives will deliver the necessary votes on Friday,” said Social Democrat caucus leader Matthias Miersch ahead of a meeting of his legislators on Monday.
(Writing by Thomas EscrittEditing by Alex Richardson and Gareth Jones)