GDR special pensions: Eastern states for full payment from the federal government

The East German states do not consider the federal government's relief for the former GDR special and supplementary pensions to be sufficient. In the Bundesrat, they welcomed the fact that the federal government is assuming a larger share of the costs. Saxony, Berlin, Brandenburg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia see this step as a contribution towards the full assumption of the burden, according to a statement in the minutes.

Brandenburg's Minister President Dietmar Woidke (SPD) made the position of the eastern states clear: "The federal government must present a concrete step-by-step plan for this." The relief is right. "This will save Brandenburg around 63 million euros," said Woidke. "However, we eastern German states agree that this cannot be the end."

In June, Woidke had appealed to the federal government to take over the payment of pensions in full because the burden on the eastern German states from the special and supplementary pension systems of the GDR was far too high. Saxony-Anhalt Minister President Reiner Haseloff (CDU) had called for further relief last year.

Until now, the federal and state governments have shared the costs

When the GDR still existed, there were 27 supplementary pension schemes for individual occupational groups. Ex-employees of the army or police, as well as former teachers, engineers, scientists and doctors, are entitled to special and supplementary pensions.

After reunification, 60 percent of the costs of supplementary pensions were initially borne by the East German states and 40 percent by the federal government. At the beginning of 2021, the federal government increased its share to 50 percent. The CDU/CSU and SPD agreed in the coalition agreement that the federal government would relieve the burden on the eastern states - now the share is to rise to 60 percent. The co-financing of statutory pensions cost the eastern German states 72 billion euros between 1991 and 2024, according to their own figures.