Thuringia petitions the Federal Government for the surrender of unique pension obligations held by the German Federal Government.
In early 2021, the federal government increased its share of the costs of supplementary pensions from 40% to 50%. This move was aimed at alleviating the financial burden on state budgets, particularly those in eastern Germany. However, the demand for further relief continues, with Thuringia being one of the states leading the charge.
CDU politician Stefan Gruhner has appealed to the coalition committee to honour this federal-state agreement and commit to taking on an additional 10% of the burden from DDR supplementary and special pensions. This demand extends beyond Thuringia, affecting other eastern German states as well.
Gruhner has suggested that the federal government should ideally assume the additional burden starting from January 1, 2026. He emphasized the need for relief for the eastern German federal states, which are heavily burdened by the costs of DDR supplementary pensions. Thuringia alone contributes 400 million euros annually to these costs.
The demand for relief from the burden of DDR supplementary pensions is not a new issue. During the DDR times, there were 27 supplementary pension systems for individual occupational groups, such as healthcare workers and members of the German People's Police. After reunification, the costs of supplementary pensions were initially borne 60% by the eastern German states and 40% by the federal government.
Despite the federal and state governments having already agreed to this, according to State Chancellery chief Stefan Gruhner, the demand for further relief from DDR supplementary pension costs remains unmet. In 2023, the eastern German state of Saxony-Anhalt spent approximately 2.68 billion euros on DDR supplementary and special pensions.
As of mid-2025, the status of Thuringia's demand for the federal government to assume an additional 10% of the burden for DDR supplementary and special pensions with effect from January 1, 2026, remains unclear. No confirmed updates or official decisions on this particular demand or its effective date have been reported in public sources or major policy updates recently.
For the latest information, it may be advisable to consult official government statements from Thuringia or the German federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, as this is a specialized and evolving topic within German pension policy.
"Business and finance experts are closely watching the ongoing negotiations between CDU politician Stefan Gruhner and the coalition committee regarding the additional burden of eastern German states on DDR supplementary and special pensions. The demand extends beyond Thuringia, affecting other federal states as well, and has been a point of debate in politics for several years. As of mid-2025, the status of Thuringia's demand for the federal government to assume an additional 10% of the burden from January 1, 2026, remains unclear."
"The general news is filled with discussions about the financial strain on eastern German states due to the costs of DDR supplementary pensions, particularly in the context of broader economic agenda and budget planning for the federal government."
