Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has announced her intention to renegotiate the Welfare Agreement from 2006 regarding the retirement age. In an interview with the Danish newspaper Berlingske, Frederiksen emphasized that her remarks represent the views of the Social Democrats (Socialdemokratiet) and not the government as a whole.

Frederiksen has expressed skepticism about the current automatic increase in the retirement age, which is linked to rising life expectancy. She argues that it is not sustainable for individuals to be required to work longer and longer periods of their lives. Therefore, she is seeking a renegotiation of the existing agreement.

The Welfare Agreement from 2006 was established by a coalition of political parties including the Liberal Party (Venstre), the Conservative People’s Party (Det Konservative Folkeparti), the Social Democrats (Socialdemokratiet), the Radical Left (De Radikale), and the Danish People’s Party (Dansk Folkeparti). This agreement introduced a gradual increase in the retirement age. Every five years, the Danish Parliament (Folketinget) assesses whether to raise the retirement age further, with a notice period of 15 years. The retirement age can be increased by a maximum of one year at a time.

Next year, in 2025, the Folketinget will once again consider a possible increase. If approved, this would mean raising the retirement age to 70 from the year 2040. However, according to Mette Frederiksen, this will be the last time that the Social Democrats support such an increase.