Decision in the Bundesrat: will the Union stop citizen income?

Status: 14.11.2022 05:00 a.m

Citizens’ money instead of Hartz IV, that’s how the traffic light imagines it. The law has already passed the Bundestag – today it is the turn of the Bundesrat. But here there is a threat of a stop by the Union-led countries. And then?

By Oliver Neuroth, ARD Capital Studio

It’s the Union’s favorite argument: With the new citizens’ allowance, it’s possible that the unemployed would have more money in their pockets at the end of the month than people with a job.

“It is very important that it must be clear that those who work have more than those who don’t work,” said Bavaria’s Prime Minister Markus Söder on Sunday evening in the ARD report from Berlin.

So is it financially worthwhile not to work and collect citizen income instead? “I’ll allow myself to remark: Nonsense! This is really complete nonsense,” said Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Friday evening at an event organized by the editorial network Germany.

“It must be clear that those who work have more,” CSU boss Markus Söder

11/13/2022 6:16 p.m

“Work is always worth it”

The government and opposition have been arguing about this for weeks. And it has been known for weeks that both sides are arguing with different numbers, different calculation examples that are not easily comparable. SPD leader Saskia Esken says: “Work is always worth it.” Especially when you think of supplementary and top-up social benefits. You can get it for a low wage.

As an example, Esken cites the housing benefit, which will be doubled on average from the new year: “I’m surprised that there is a widespread image of humanity in the Union that everyone has a tendency to sit lazily on the sofa. That’s not my attitude. “

The traffic light coalition relies more on trust, especially in the first six months in which a person receives citizen benefits. Recipients should only be slightly reduced in benefits if they miss appointments at the job center, for example. The law also stipulates that recipients may have assets of up to 60,000 euros that are not touched.

Union will probably refuse approval

CDU leader Friedrich Merz speaks in the “Welt am Sonntag” of a complete system change in labor market policy. He finds compromise difficult. Like Soder. He makes it clear that Bayern will not agree. Other countries with Union participation in the government indicate something similar for today’s special session of the Federal Council.

So the citizens’ income threatens to fail first, the law would then go to a mediation committee. “In the last 16 years, we’re not used to it often coming together,” says Scholz. Reason: Union and SPD would have mostly governed together. That is different with the current government constellation. Now there might just be a mediation committee again.

“No contact with dealers and responsible consumption”, FDP Vice-Chair Vogel

Report from Berlin, November 13, 2022

“Can talk about anything”

“Of course we can talk about anything, in a democracy you can talk about anything anyway,” says FDP social politician Johannes Vogel, also in the report from Berlin. He is open to mediation. But it also makes it clear: “What shouldn’t happen in my opinion is that if the self-employed fall into basic security, into citizen income, they have to use up their old-age provision first.”

The protective assets must therefore remain for him. SPD leader Esken is also unwilling to compromise on central points: “We are not ready to talk about this new culture, which is about sustainability and respect.”

Time is running out. If no compromise is on the table by the end of November, the basic income cannot start as planned in the new year.


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