Berlin’s Senator for Economic Affairs Franziska Giffey wants to make the unemployed more responsible. “We have to ensure that people who can work get out of the social system,” said the SPD state chairwoman of the “Berliner Morgenpost” (Saturday). “To achieve this, obligations to cooperate must be demanded more again, and the principle of “not just providing, but empowering” must be more effective,” emphasized Giffey. From their point of view, the plans of Federal Labor Minister Hubertus Heil (SPD) to strengthen the cooperation obligations of those recipients of citizens’ benefits who consciously refused to enter the labor market are correct.
“Citizens’ money is about the subsistence level, we have to comply with that and I think that’s right,” emphasized Giffey. “But for me there is far too much discussion about the amount of the amounts and whether they are justified or not.” Instead, the focus needs to be more on how people get out of this situation.
In Berlin there are 190,000 people who are not working. At the same time, personnel are being sought in all areas. At least some of the unemployed must be able to pursue properly paid employment.
“The actually good idea of citizens’ money does not work well in practice everywhere,” said Giffey. “We have to address this clearly and also address the dissatisfaction that exists among the population about it.” Above all, it is a task that the SPD must take on.
Interview Berliner Morgenpost
