Johannes Winkel Demands Pension Reform to Win Gen Z Trust

Only five percent of young adults aged 18 to 34 believe CDU/CSU politicians advocate for their interests, according to the ARD-DeutschlandTrend survey published in November 2026.

Johannes Winkel, federal chairman of the Junge Union, stated in the ARD program Bericht aus Berlin that the younger generation feels neglected by politics overall. Winkel called the survey results disastrous and attributed the widespread dissatisfaction directly to plans such as the pension reform not being implemented.

Chief among these grievances is the pension decision taken last year — the planned pension reform — which Winkel characterized as catastrophic for younger demographics. The Junge Union had pushed for a dedicated pension commission to structure alternative proposals, which Winkel maintains the government has failed to implement.

Winkel argued that the governing coalition could regain the trust of young voters by enacting proposed adjustments to the pension system that have already been fully agreed upon. He specifically called out SPD parliamentary group leader Matthias Miersch regarding prior commitments to the pension package.

Miersch responded during the broadcast by defending the legislative timeline and countering claims of a total policy freeze. Miersch stated that 30 out of 33 proposals within the pension package remain completely undisputed, and expressed confidence that the remaining three points will be resolved in upcoming weeks.

Addressing the contentious retirement after 45 years of insured employment, Miersch maintained that the provision remains an essential matter of fairness for younger workers. The pension commission had previously recommended abolishing this retirement pathway.

Miersch also defended high government investments and the resulting debt as necessary to prevent significantly higher financial burdens for future generations. He pointed to substantial funds directed toward educational infrastructure.