The leader of the Christian Social Union (CSU), Markus Söder, has advocated for a significant overhaul of Germany’s basic income system, commonly known as Bürgergeld In comments published Monday, Söder emphasized the need for stricter regulations to incentivize acceptance of reasonable job offers by recipients, currently without penalty He proposed a re-evaluation of benefit levels, specifically relating to housing costs and permissible savings
Beyond the social security system, Söder signaled openness to comprehensive pension reform While supporting initiatives like the “active pension” – designed to ease the transition to continued work for retirees – he also called for the introduction of a fully funded, capital-based pillar within the existing pension insurance framework He argued such measures are crucial to secure a viable system for future generations
Regarding the statutory retirement age, Söder indicated willingness to consider adjustments linked to life expectancy, while acknowledging diverse individual circumstances He stressed the importance of flexible regulations rather than rigid rules, stating that any proposal to raise the retirement age would require careful consideration
Söder also prioritized reform within the healthcare and long-term care insurance sectors He highlighted potential improvements through digitalization, particularly in data exchange Furthermore, he questioned the large number of existing health insurance funds, suggesting consolidation and automation present opportunities for significant efficiency gains He characterized these developments as having substantial potential for positive change