Press
The citizen’s allowance has become a bone of contention in Germany. Now the CDU leader has attacked the Federal Employment Agency for a measure.
Munich – The dispute over the 2025 budget continues to simmer within the traffic light coalition. The public is heatedly discussing the Citizens’ allowance The ruling SPD wants to Picture Recipients who are found to be working illegally should be punished more severely. The FDP is calling for more “incentives to work” and the Union would prefer to abolish it immediately. Now CDU leader Friedrich Merz has gone one step further.
“Go to the BA website for fun”: Merz criticizes advertising for citizen’s allowance
It has been documented several times that the citizen’s allowance is a thorn in the side of the Union. Most recently, a move by the CSU to expel Ukrainian refugees from Germany if they do not take up employment caused a stir. At the end of March, Merz had already said in an interview with World on Sunday declared that the citizen’s allowance could not be financed if Germany wanted to become capable of defending itself.
Now the CDU leader accused the Federal Employment Agency (BA) of to advertise the service inappropriatelyand thus promote people’s convenience. “Just have fun and visit the website of the Federal Employment Agency,” said Merz on Tuesday (25 June) in a speech on Industry Day. “There you can see advertisements for the Citizens’ Allowance. Advertisements for a carefree life in Germany.”
Federal Employment Agency and Jobcenter promote Citizens’ Allowance
In fact, the website of the BA, run by SPD politician Andrea Nahles, states: “Financial security with citizen’s allowance. Find out how you can secure your livelihood with citizen’s allowance.” The job centers are calling on people to apply for citizen’s allowance on posters. The Berlin job center, for example, is advertising that you should simply submit an application “and we will check which benefits you are entitled to.” According to Picture However, the Berlin job centers assured that this was “a one-off initiative”.
Merz also called for reforms to the citizen’s allowance. “If we want more employment in Germany – and we need more employment – this system of transfer payments must be turned on its head,” he said on Labor Day. For him, labor market policy must be separated from social policy. Labor market policy is economic policy, said Merz. The federal government is apparently planning to cut more than 1.5 billion euros from the job center budgets. (mt)
#Merz #citizens #allowance #dispute #Advertising #carefree #life