In the dispute over the introduction of citizen income, the traffic light parties have asked the Union to cooperate. “Anyone who calls for more relief every day in the newspaper should not leave people out in the rain when it comes to implementing them,” said Green Party leader Ricarda Lang to the “Tagesspiegel” and the “Rheinische Post”. It is the responsibility of all parties to ensure social security and to strengthen cohesion in the country. The SPD chairwoman Saskia Esken signaled willingness to talk. CDU General Secretary Mario Czaja had previously threatened to block the law in the Bundesrat.
There has been a long-standing dispute in the ongoing legislative process. It is therefore unclear whether the traffic light government can push through the reform as planned. In the Bundesrat, she is dependent on votes from the camp of the Union countries. A blockade could also affect the already tight schedule. The start date is January 1st.
CDU General Secretary Czaja had told the “Tagesspiegel” about the planned reform: “I assume that we will have to talk about it in the mediation committee.” The committee is a body of the Bundestag and Bundesrat that is intended to find a consensus if laws passed by the Bundestag do not find a majority in the state chamber.
SPD and FDP criticize the actions of the Union
SPD General Secretary Kevin Kühnert called the Union’s criticism “a transparent and populist maneuver”. “So the party of (CDU leader) Friedrich Merz is once again ready to throw any seriousness overboard for a quick headline, and at the same time to drag the politics shaped by Chancellor Merkel into the dirt,” he told the “Tagesspiegel”. with a view to the former head of government Angela Merkel (CDU). The criticized rules on protective assets are “not a new invention”, but were decided by the Union and SPD at the beginning of the corona pandemic.
The FDP General Secretary Bijan Djir-Sarai also told the “Tagesspiegel” that it was not the time “for party tactical maneuvers”. Delay and blockage have nothing to do with responsibility.
Citizens’ income is intended to replace the previous Hartz IV basic security. The aim of the traffic light coalition is to put those affected in a position to be able to concentrate more on further training and looking for work. They should be put under less pressure by the job center. The standard rates of basic security should increase by around 50 euros per month.
From Czaja’s point of view, the previous draft sets the wrong incentives – for example through the higher asset allowance. “Those who work must have more than those who can work and don’t do it,” said Czaja.
Esken signals willingness to talk
SPD leader Esken told the Funke media group: “If the federal states led by the Union want to clarify detailed questions about citizen income, we are ready to do so.” It is clear that the introduction is primarily about respect, which is not up for negotiation. “It’s not just about offsetting inflation, it’s about the respect that people in need deserve and sustainable ways to overcome that need.”
Union parliamentary group vice-president Hermann Gröhe (CDU) emphasized that the party expressly supports inflation compensation and is committed to ensuring that the increase comes into force on January 1, 2023. “There are ways and means for this outside of the Citizens’ Income Act,” he told the “Rheinische Post”. “A mediation procedure for citizens’ income makes sense if the traffic light agrees to correct the profound flaws in their project.”
From the point of view of the left, however, the planned reforms do not go far enough. The chairman, Martin Schirdewan, told the “Rheinische Post” that a solidary minimum income is necessary, “which enables social participation without ifs and buts and on which people can also rely”.
The Federal Council had asked the traffic light government to make improvements after consultations on Friday. The Bundestag wants to deal with the law on November 10 in the second and third reading. After that, it’s up to the Federal Council again.
