The Luxembourg government will push to draft, review, and pass its pension reform legislation in under four months, Prime Minister Luc Frieden said Thursday, setting an ambitious deadline for the controversial changes.
Following the third round of social talks, Prime Minister Luc Frieden outlined the government's timeline for pension reform in an interview with our colleagues from RTL Télé on Thursday evening.
Regarding the proposed changes, which were announced on Wednesday, Frieden stated, "We are creating a bit of leeway for ourselves." He explained that the reform texts will be presented to the Government Council in the coming weeks, with the goal of passing them in the Chamber of Deputies by the end of the year.
The announced reforms include a gradual eight-month extension of the working life contribution period over the next five years, beginning with an initial one-month increase in 2026.
The Prime Minister characterised the current measures as a response to the "significant resistance" encountered in recent months. "Yes, this is not the grand, ambitious pension revolution that some might have wished for," Frieden admitted, noting that while the government would have preferred to go further, "it was only the government that was listening." Despite this, he expressed satisfaction that some progress has been made. He stated that extending contribution years and implementing a "slight increase" in contributions will help strengthen the system, adding that he believes the pension system should be reviewed every legislative period.
This schedule means the relevant legislation must be drafted, reviewed by the Council of State, and passed by the Chamber of Deputies by 1 January – a tight deadline of less than four months. Acknowledging the ambition of this timeline, Prime Minister Frieden stressed the importance of setting clear goals and expressed confidence that it is achievable by December, noting the texts are "not that complicated to write."
The government plans to submit the texts to the Chamber of Deputies "as quickly as possible." While Frieden affirmed that democratic discussions are "important," he emphasised that decisions must eventually be made and enacted through the legislative process. "We have to set goals for ourselves," he concluded, "because the world around us is moving very quickly and we cannot stand still."
