interview
Appeal to the government
Thuringia’s Interior Minister Maier: “It cannot be the case that the payment card is on the brink again”
Thuringia’s Interior Minister Georg Maier from the SPD: “The public dispute must finally stop”
© Jacob Schröter / DPA
There is a dispute in the traffic light coalition about the payment card for asylum seekers. Much to the displeasure of Thuringia’s Interior Minister Georg Maier. The SPD politician makes a clear appeal to the government.
Mr. Maier, there is another dispute about the payment card for asylum seekers. How would you explain to a layperson what the problem suddenly is?
The Greens apparently have concerns about whether the introduction of the payment card and details about its design should also be regulated by federal law or not. I cannot understand why a nationwide regulation suddenly becomes a problem again. I think that makes a lot of sense.
Each federal state can introduce a payment card and regulate the details independently. There is therefore no need to regulate the introduction by federal law. Or?
The federal government and the vast majority of states agreed at the Prime Minister’s Conference to introduce a payment card with uniform standards. For good reason. I think it makes sense if the payment cards work nationwide and there aren’t 16 different models circulating. That only has advantages. The states still remain flexible when it comes to the specific design of the card.
Nevertheless, there is now a problem with the introduction in the federal government.
As I said: It cannot be the case that the nationwide payment card is suddenly on the brink again. The federal model is designed as a type of debit card that is supported by the vast majority of states. In addition, it is up to the countries themselves to decide which services they allow or not to use the card. For example, how much cash can be withdrawn or where the cards can specifically be used.
Payment card for asylum seekers: Maier sees “good reasons”
But many countries don’t want to wait. Also in Thuringia The payment card is already being tested in some places, and several districts want to introduce it independently.
There are also good reasons to introduce a payment card. For example, it can be used to limit how much cash can be withdrawn and sent to the country of origin. This is an important point to ensure that the money is used appropriately. Some district administrators in Thuringia report that this restriction has already caused some asylum seekers to leave the district. I can’t confirm that yet, the cards haven’t been in use long enough to give an initial assessment, but I hear about these experiences.
A quick traffic light agreement does not seem to be in sight. The Greens are now accusing the Chancellery of “poor management”, the FDP is criticizing the Greens’ blockade stance and indirectly threatening the end of the government. How long will the coalition last?
I can’t answer that question for you. My urgent request to everyone involved is not to air their conflicts in public – especially before the three state elections in East Germany. The traffic light must coordinate internally and then present joint solutions. The public dispute must finally stop.
What do you expect from the Chancellor? Does Olaf Scholz have to speak out?
Power words wear out the more you have to use them. My appeal is addressed to all three traffic light parties: not every controversial issue should be raised to the all-important coalition question. It is completely sufficient to resolve conflicts through short official channels – in a personal conversation. There is no need for a word of power from the Chancellor, but rather a common understanding of the traffic light that it wants to live up to its claim of being a “progressive coalition”. Unfortunately, the traffic lights have not been noticed with this claim recently.