German pension reform criticized as undemocratic, benefiting AfD

A commentary in Der Freitag argues that Germany's upcoming pension reform is not only controversial in content but also in process, as key social policy decisions are made without broad democratic participation, eroding trust in institutions and benefiting the far-right AfD. The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung summarized the reform's praised aspects: it aims not just to fill financial gaps but to fundamentally redefine social policy goals. To achieve this, politics and society must abandon three central instruments: the deduction-free pension at 63, the pension level guarantee (demographic burden-sharing between generations), and increases in the mother's pension. The author contends that these individual ideas are questionable, but an even greater inconsistency lies behind them, warning that such top-down reforms play into the hands of right-wing populists.