The new active pension scheme is supposedly modern, secures the future, and motivates older people to continue working. But it only applies to employees. The self-employed remain excluded. With this, policymakers are deliberately creating a two-tier society for the elderly. They are exacerbating inequality instead of resolving it, and they are ignoring economic reality at a time when Germany needs every contributor.
Active Pension: A Predictable Political Mistake
The active pension grants up to €2,000 in tax-free additional income. It rewards work, but only for those in dependent employment. Entrepreneurs, freelancers, and tradespeople who bear responsibility receive nothing. This decision doesn’t seem accidental; it appears planned. The government knows exactly whom it is excluding and what message it is sending: commitment only counts in certain roles. Everyone else is sidelined.
The economic consequences are predictable. Germany is struggling with a shortage of skilled workers. At the same time, politicians are excluding people who could contribute experience, knowledge, and labor. This is no small matter. It is a political decision against entrepreneurial achievement.
Ignored warnings and contradictory arguments
Even during the legislative process, experts warned of unequal treatment and legal risks. Despite this, the government remained stubborn. It likes to praise small and medium-sized enterprises in speeches. But when it comes down to specifics, it acts in the opposite way. Instead of fair framework conditions, it is once again sending a signal of exclusion. This damages trust and demonstrates a worrying disconnect from economic reality.
The official justification is particularly problematic. A recurring political argument is: Many self-employed people continue working anyway, even after reaching retirement age, so there is no need for additional tax incentives. This is precisely how the government seriously justifies its refusal to provide relief. Those who are already managing should simply continue managing. This attitude is not pragmatic. It is disrespectful.
Active Pension Creates Distrust Instead of Motivation
The active pension costs billions. Yet it remains an exclusive instrument. It links support not to performance, but to status. Wages are rewarded. Profits are penalized. This creates an artificial divide between people who contribute equally. The government further justifies this with alleged administrative simplification. And it indirectly casts suspicion on the self-employed, claiming their income is harder to verify. This sounds like a technical justification. In reality, it smacks of distrust.
At the same time, politicians emphasize that the regulation must remain limited to be “precisely targeted.” But “precisely targeted” in this case means exclusion. It means that commitment is valued differently depending on the form of employment. This destroys credibility at a time when politicians can ill afford to squander trust.
Germany Needs Correction – No Excuses
The active pension scheme could be a useful instrument. It could strengthen retirement benefits. It could secure skilled workers. But in its current form, it weakens the self-employed, harms the economy, and comes across as a political power play rather than responsible policy. Equal treatment would be possible. It would be legally sounder, economically more sensible, and socially fairer.
The federal government nevertheless defends its exclusion. It declares it justified. It calls it administrative logic. But behind this language lies a clear stance: the self-employed count for less politically. This is precisely what makes the active pension scheme dangerous. Because it divides. It excludes. And it ignores how much the self-employed support this country.
Germany needs an honest correction. Not sometime in the future. But now. A regulation that only rewards employees remains incomplete. An active pension scheme without the self-employed remains unjust. And a policy that defends this loses moral authority. (KOB)