Dhe chairman of the Union faction in the Bundestag Friedrich Merz (CDU) sees little room for negotiations in the dispute over the new citizens’ income. “With this law, the federal government is carrying out a complete system change in labor market policy. Compromises are difficult,” Merz told the “Welt am Sonntag”. He rejects the “paradigm shift” that the federal government is undertaking with citizen income, it said. “This so-called citizen money is the way to an unconditional basic income from tax funds,” said the CDU chairman.
In addition, the law comes at the wrong time. “Craftsmen, restaurateurs, small and large companies – they are all desperately looking for workers. And now, of all times, when it should be more important than ever to get people into work, such a law is being passed,” said the CDU party leader.
Federal Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP), on the other hand, has shown himself to be open to possible changes to citizen income in a mediation process. He told the editorial network Germany. You can negotiate anything. “If we can still improve the additional income, that would be very good.” Taking up work is a step towards long-term independence from social benefits. “That must be rewarded and not punished.”
The Federal Council is scheduled to vote on social reform on Monday, and the Union could block the government’s central project there. She vehemently rejects the project, partly because she believes it reduces motivation to accept work. The traffic light parties reject this.
The Bundestag had approved the citizen money on Thursday. In the event of rejection in the Bundesrat, a compromise would have to be found in the joint mediation committee of the Bundestag and Bundesrat.
The traffic light plans for citizen income include an increase in the current standard rate of 449 euros for single people to 502 euros. In addition, the unemployed are to be put under less pressure in the future by threatened withdrawal of benefits (sanctions) and instead be given more support with further training measures. In addition, the requirements for the permitted amount of assets and the size of the apartment for benefit recipients are to be relaxed.