Dresden (dpa / sn) – Greens and SPD are still in favor of Saxony’s participation in the federal pension hardship fund. The two governing parties made this clear on Tuesday in Dresden after they were unable to reach an agreement with the CDU on this point at the coalition committee the day before. SPD leader Kathrin Michel regretted that. But talks are still being held, she said, referring to the CDU, which has been against it so far. A good 30 years after reunification, the fund represents an essential step towards recognizing the lifetime achievements of many people in East Germany. “And we will work vehemently for these people.”
The hardship fund is primarily intended for East Germans whose pension entitlements from GDR times were not transferred to the federal German system. If they are deemed to be in need, they can receive a one-time payment of 2500 euros. The federal government has budgeted 500 million euros for the fund. It is to be looked after by a foundation. The countries have the opportunity to participate, then the payout would be doubled. So far, only Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania has agreed to do so. In Saxony, apart from the CDU, all parties represented in the state parliament are in favor of it. The CDU had repeatedly made it clear that pensions are federal law.
Justice and Equal Opportunities Minister Katja Meier (Greens) believes that joining the fund is the right thing to do. At the same time, on Tuesday, she spoke out in favor of extending the application period to “at least one year”. According to current regulations, applications must be submitted by September 30th. Meier sees the fund only as “the first step on a long road”.
“As Minister for Equal Opportunities, I also regret that women in particular are bearing the costs of the compromise – for example, women divorced under GDR law, the predominantly female medical staff, ballet dancers or postal workers,” Meier told the German Press Agency. “At least for those entitled to claim, with the albeit small one-off payment, there is finally financial and at least symbolic recognition of their biographical breaks and their lifetime achievements.”
It is completely incomprehensible that the Saxony-CDU with a surplus of 1.5 billion euros in the budget does not even want to release 50 million euros in order to participate in the fund like Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, explained the Leipzig Greens member of the Bundestag Paula Piechotta. For years, the CDU initially dragged out a solution for disadvantaged pensioners in the federal government and “is now thwarting a common solution with its hard-hearted blockade attitude”.
