A significant faction within the Social Democratic Party (SPD) is mounting a direct challenge to the government’s proposed overhaul of the Bürgergeld (citizen’s allowance) system, sparking an internal debate that exposes deep ideological fractures within the ruling coalition. A members’ petition, already gathering considerable momentum, criticizes the planned reforms as a capitulation to populist sentiment and a betrayal of core SPD values.
Aziz Bozkurt, Berlin’s State Secretary for Social Affairs and a prominent figure as the federal chairperson of the SPD’s working group on Migration and Diversity, is a leading voice in the opposition. He argues that the proposed reforms, characterized by stricter sanctions and potential benefit cuts, represent a dangerous shift toward policies that do not address the root causes of poverty. “This is not social democratic policy” Bozkurt stated bluntly to the Tagesspiegel newspaper. He condemns what he describes as a “kicking down” within the party, insisting that public opinion polls, even those currently favoring tougher measures, cannot dictate the SPD’s stance.
The critique is particularly directed at the party’s co-leader, Lars Klingbeil. Bozkurt accuses Klingbeil of pursuing a “pure offer policy” reminiscent of Gerhard Schröder’s controversial Agenda 2010 reforms, which sparked widespread protests and long-lasting social consequences. He warns against a repeat of those damaging cuts and calls for greater financial support for municipalities struggling to manage the impact of benefit reforms.
The petition, requiring signatures from at least 20% of SPD members to trigger a binding resolution, signals a significant challenge to the party leadership. Bozkurt expresses confidence that this threshold will be met, creating considerable pressure on the parliamentary process and opening the door for substantive alterations to the legislative draft. The primary goal of this internal campaign is to prevent what its proponents view as disproportionate sanctions that could trigger debilitating anxieties of downward mobility amongst vulnerable populations. The escalating internal dispute underlines the fragility of the SPD’s commitment to social welfare principles amid rising political pressure and underscores the potential for a prolonged and heated debate within the party.