False attribution to Lars Klingbeil: A popular Telegram account has fabricated a quote regarding German pensioners, which is being circulated.
In a recent development, German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil has denied a fabricated quote attributed to him, claiming he called German pensioners the laziest people in Germany. The quote was posted by the Telegram channel "UNN - Independent Neutral News," a platform that has been linked to Russia and other propaganda actors.
The channel, run by Christopher Wolf, an entrepreneur and emigrant, has been found to publish fake news and propaganda content. In the summer of 2023, UNN temporarily published content from "RIA Novosti Deutschland GmbH," a Russian news agency that was sanctioned by the EU in the spring of 2024.
The coalition agreement between the Union and SPD states they want more flexibility in the transition from work to retirement and want to make working in old age more attractive with an "active pension." The goal is to make up to 2,000 euros of monthly income tax-free in an "active pension." However, Klingbeil's remarks about pensioners, if authentic, would contradict this goal.
Klingbeil's SPD faction quoted him as saying, "Those who have bent their backs... should have an adequate pension," in April. However, the Ministry of Finance and searches in the press database "Genios" yielded no evidence of Klingbeil making such a statement about pensioners being lazy.
The fabricated quote was met with doubt and outrage among some users, while in other cases, reactions to UNN posts have been more drastic, including demands for resignation and fantasies of violence and murder. Several media outlets picked up this quote from the SPD chairman, adding to the confusion.
There has been no response to an inquiry about whether Wolf is paid for spreading Russian propaganda and the nature of his connections to the Russian state apparatus. In the past, Wolf has regularly boasted in messaging apps about supposedly good connections to Russia. The institution paying Christopher Wolf in summer 2023 for spreading Russian propaganda is not publicly confirmed.
The coalition agreement between CDU, CSU, and SPD, 2025, is a public source for the fact that the German government is working towards making retirement more attractive for workers. Despite the recent controversy, the focus remains on finding solutions to improve the lives of German pensioners.
