NAfter the Bundestag decision for the new citizens’ income, Bavaria’s Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) threatened a blockade in the Bundesrat. “The citizen’s income cannot be approved in the Bundesrat,” said the CSU chairman to the newspapers of the Funke media group.
“The basic income disadvantages the lower income groups who have to work hard: cashiers, hairdressers, bus drivers, police chiefs who try to make ends meet every day – and in the end have to realize that not working is almost as lucrative as working. That’s unfair,” said Söder.
On Thursday, the traffic light coalition brought its largest socio-political reform project through the Bundestag. It was still unclear whether the new citizens’ income could actually replace the Hartz IV system as planned at the turn of the year. The Union wants to stop the project next week in the Federal Council. He has to agree to the law.
The social association VdK sharply criticized the dispute over citizen income. “It would be shabby if the introduction of citizen income in the Bundesrat were further delayed or even stopped. Because the coalition wanted to get citizen income off the ground, there were no more adjustments to the Hartz IV standard rates,” said VdK President Verena Bentele of the “Rheinische Post” (Friday edition). In the case of the recipients of basic security, the load limit was “exceeded a long time ago”.
The Federal Government Commissioner for East Germany, Carsten Schneider (SPD), emphasized the importance of citizen income, especially for many people in East Germany. It was “of great importance for many people there and an important socio-political step in difficult times,” said Schneider of the “Rheinische Post” on Friday.
The traffic light government’s plans for citizen’s income include an increase in the standard rate for single adults by EUR 53 from the current EUR 449 to EUR 502 per month. In addition, existing sanctions are to be relaxed.