Ulrike
Schielke-Ziesing
Basic
Pension
German
Bundestag, May 15, 2020, Plenarprotokoll 19/161, pp. 20032-20033
[Ulrike
Schielke-Ziesing is an Alternative für Deutschland Bundestag member from the
eastern German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. She
is a pensions administrator and a member of the Bundestag social security committee.
Hubertus Heil (SPD) is German Minister for Labor and Social Affairs. Olaf
Scholz (SPD) is German Minister for Finance.]
Right
honorable ladies and gentlemen. Right honorable Frau President. Honorable
citizens.
We
members have long waited for this moment. We today actually debate the draft
law on the basic pension [Grundrente].
For 14 months, very much energy was invested in the application of the Grundrente, and at least as much energy
so as to finally convince the coalition partners. In the bill it is stated that
the Grundrente honors a life’s work and
shall guard against old age poverty.
At
this point, it is fitting to ask why the insured, who have worked for at least
33 years and paid into the Pension Insurance, in the end receive so low a
pension, which now must be funded. How did it come to such a state?
Decisive
for the terribly low pensions are the reforms of recent years; for example,
the introduction in 1998 of demographic factors and, before all, the Schröder-Riester
reform of 2001. It may also be remembered that it was first with an SPD
government that the low wage sector could be so expanded. The coalition
partners have been responsible for the low pensions and now congratulate
themselves for pitching a little on account of the Grundrente to the contributors. Way to go!
For
months experts, from the Bertelsmann Foundation to the employers’ associations,
from the German Pension Insurance to the OECD, have referred to serious
defects. The Grundrente is not
precisely oriented. It is socially unjust, much too expensive and thereby
largely ineffective. Everyone knows that those especially directed to aid
seldom attain the prescribed insurance years. The Grundrente is constitutionally suspect on account of its neglect of
principles of equality. Besides that, the equivalence principle is not
followed.
Matthias W. Birkwald (Linke): Yes,
and ?
How
do you explain, Herr Heil, that the insured who pay the same contribution do
not receive the same benefit from the Pension Insurance? Herr Heil, you are
thereby creating new injustices in the insurance community.
Matthias W. Birkwald (Linke): Which have long been
in the pension law. No one has ever
denied that.
For
the Pension Insurance, the Grundrente in
terms of organization is not convertible within the time frame; for the Finance
officials’ income inquiry, the required IT system is lacking. Millions of documents
must examined by hand. The Pension Insurance requires approximately 3,400
additional employees to manage the examination of current pensions. For the
current operation, especially on account of the regulated income testing, 1,600
employees must be shifted to the Grundrente.
From where will these be taken? The Pension Insurance has already indicated it
will not be able to convert to the Grundrente
by the beginning of January 1, 2021 – and that was before Corona.
To
directly aid the really poor pensioners, an allowance resolution [Freibetragslösung] for the pension with
a charge on the old age basic security is the better assessment.
Matthias W. Birkwald (Linke): But
not yesterday’s thin thing, please!
Since
February 2019, there has been before you our motion for conversion which we
here yesterday in plenary session definitely moved. The conversion cost would
be far less and the usage the same or even greater than with the Grundrente.
Matthias W. Birkwald (Linke): No.
Definitely not!
Further,
this option would conform to the constitution and preserve the equivalence
principle of the statutory Pension Insurance.
Kerstin Tack (SPD): That is the hope
principle! The coalition’s draft law is
much better!
Herr
Minister Heil, it is exceedingly praiseworthy that you have partially taken up
our proposal in your draft law.
Hermann Gröhe (CDU/CSU): Painful!
Unfortunately,
you reduce the range of the qualified by defining the admittance prerequisite
as 35 insured years. All other pensioners, including pensioners incapable of
earnings, again fall through the cracks, and that is not right.
We
come to the costs of the Grundrente.
As one presently reads, there will be no second or third reading of the Grundrente if the financing is not
enacted, and that is appropriate. The financial requirement will amount to
about 1.3 billion euros in the year 2021. It is positive that it will be
clearly legislated that the cost will not be borne by the insurance community but
shall be paid out of the tax revenues. Yet from where does this tax revenue
come? Already before Corona, the finances stood on shaky ground. Minister Scholz
wanted a financial transactions tax, the other EU countries not.
What
does it look like now in the Corona crisis? To cushion the economic and social consequences of the crisis, we in the parliament have decided on a
supplementary budget to the sum of around 156 billion euros. The Federal
Institute for Labor, with its reserves, will not suffice. It is clear that an
additional supplementary budget is coming. The income of the states in the next
years will amount to far less than planned. The tax revenues of the Federal
government will be lacking in this year alone a sum of around 40 billion euros.
And
the pension, sickness and care insurance income will fall off, which then must
be covered by the Federal government.
Beate Müller-Gemmeke (Greens): What’s
that mean now?
How,
please, shall the Grundrente then be
financed? Despite it all, Herr Heil, you are determined to put through this Grundrente. It may then be asked here,
why do you thusly set your priorities?
Dagmar Ziegler (SPD): We have done
more!
Can
it have something to do with the Federal elections taking place next year and
the pensioners being a not to be underestimated group of voters?
Kerstin Tack (SDP): It does not get
more banal! Just a bit of this is about
the people!
To
disperse election gifts shortly before an election, certainly all Labor
Ministers do that. In this case, however, it will be a giant disillusionment for
the voters if they are unable to actually note Grundrente in the purse.
Yesterday,
Minister Scholz announced the largest tax deficit of all time. The total tax
deficit to 2024 will amount to an inconceivable 315.9 billion euros, of which
that of the Federal government will be around 171 billion euros. Nevertheless,
Scholz says not a single project will be trimmed. Where the taxpayers’ union
advises the examination of all government expenditures, Minister Scholz says,
quote, “We can continue to do what we have undertaken.” Naturally, he thereby
refers to the Grundrente. It is
really just inconceivable how budget policy is being made here
Kai Whittaker (CDU/CSU): Does that
mean that you do not want to
do anything?
Beate Müller-Gemmeke (Greens): Why did you bring the
motion yesterday, if you actually wanted to do nothing? Not the least empathy!
and
how far from one another are pretense and reality.
With
the SPD, nothing can be done [sind Hopfen
und Malz verloren]. I want here however to appeal to the reason of the
CDU/CSU members. Stop this nonsensical Grundrente!
Do not allow a further, second reading here in the Bundestag.
Many
thanks.
Dagmar Ziegler (SPD): That really
was nothing!
Ulli Nissen (SPD): How I look
forward to Hermann Gröhe!
[Translated by Todd Martin]
