PoliticsPension reform revolt: Eastern Germany challenges the chancellor

Germany’s landmark pension reform was intended to demonstrate that the country could deliver major changes. Instead, it has provoked a backlash in eastern Germany and revealed deep divisions inside Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s own party. The discussion examines why the pension system is under pressure and why eastern regions are resisting important elements of the reform. It also considers whether the dispute could become a serious threat to the government, alongside the economic issues surrounding the plan.