Reform narratives and argumentative coupling in German pension policy: constructing the ‘deserving retiree’

Abstract

German pension policy experienced a shift in the early 2000s, when public pensions were cut back, the retirement age raised, and private, publicly subsidized pension provision stipulated. Within a coherent reform narrative, those reforms were grounded on arguments of a 'demographic time bomb', a no-longer-affordable public pension scheme, and the return potential of private pension funds. Yet this narrative was delegitimized quickly with zero-rate-policy, and increasing old-age poverty in a lean public pension scheme. In such a situation, it can be expected difficult to either adapt the old narrative or construct new ones. This makes an interesting case for this article to study reform narratives and argumentative coupling in recent German pension policy through two contrasting cases: A failed attempt at establishing a minimum-pension scheme; and a 'successful' reform package combining a 'mothers' pension' and exceptions for a full pension at age 63. Findings illuminate how the contrasting success of those reform proposals can be understood in terms of narrative stories: The reform whichpolitical-strategicallycould build on the 'deservingness' of the target groups could be agreed upon comparatively easily. Possible beneficiaries of a minimum pension are of varying 'deservingness', though, and narrating a more 'problem-solving' story has proven difficult.

Sozialpolitische Erzählungen – Ein Vergleich narrativer Strategien in der Finanzkrise und der Corona-Krise

“…In giving-to-give-Narrativen zur Reformlegitimation steht dabei vor allem die Verdientheit dieser Gruppen im Vordergrund, insbesondere vor dem Hintergrund der von ihnen erbrachten Leistungen (bei Rentnerinnen beispielsweise: "Menschen, die ihr Leben lang hart gearbeitet haben."). Ein konkretes Beispiel für solche Narrative ist empirisch in den Debatten um die Rente mit 63 in Deutschland (2014) zu finden, in denen ein früherer Renteneintritt als Anerkennung für die von diesen Gruppen geleistete Arbeit konstruiert wurde (Blum 2019).…”

“A bridge too far?” Ideas, employment relations and policy‐making about the future of work

“…Culturally familiar “storylines” (Hajer, 1995: 52) are often mobilized because they have an assumed legitimacy but limit the options considered practical and possible. Thus, narratives are a means of linking characters, problems and policy solutions (Blum, 2019; Blum & Kuhlmann, 2019; Schlaufer, 2018) and are used strategically by actors to interact with political institutions to bring about policy change by coordinating discourse about a specific issue (Hagelund & Grødem, 2019). For example, Stone (2012) asserts that stories of decline are common (within stories of change), as actors use them to argue current situations will worsen if nothing is done or a certain action is not taken.…”