Zukunft im Turm

Social security systems

Prof. Dr. Bert Rürup

17 June 2013

Ringturm

State pension and health systems are facing a number of fundamental challenges: demographic changes are having a significant impact on the intergenerational contract that underpins our social security system.

On the picture from left to right: Prof. Dr. Bert Rürup (economist), Dr. Alexandra Föderl-Schmid (editor in chief “Der Standard”) and Dr. Günter Geyer (Chairman of the Managing Board of Wiener Städtische Versicherungsverein). © Wiener Städtische Versicherungsverein/APA-Fotoservice/Preiss
On the picture from left to right: Prof. Dr. Bert Rürup (economist), Dr. Alexandra Föderl-Schmid (editor in chief “Der Standard”) and Dr. Günter Geyer (Chairman of the Managing Board of Wiener Städtische Versicherungsverein). © Wiener Städtische Versicherungsverein/APA-Fotoservice/Preiss

Pensions expert Bert Rürup gave his thoughts on how this development will affect social security systems. The discussion covered points ranging from whether these systems can even be maintained in their present form to the possibility of the government providing subsidies in the future.

The economist Bert Rürup worked in the university sector and academia for four decades. Following a brief spell in the financial services industry, Rürup is currently Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the German Institute for Economic Research, and he was appointed President of the Handelsblatt Research Institute in January 2013. He is also a member of various scientific associations and an expert for several scientific journals.