German Politicians Warn Against Populist Debate on Citizen’s Allowance
In the backdrop of repeated demands from the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) for significant cuts to the citizen’s allowance, SPD faction leader Matthias Miersch has cautioned against a populist debate. “It is absolutely right to address those who exploit the system, but it is crucial not to tar everyone with the same brush and to conduct the debate without populist rhetoric” Miersch told the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland.
Miersch emphasized that many citizen’s allowance recipients rely on the benefit as they are unable to work full-time due to various reasons. He pointed out that one in five recipients supplement their income because it would not be enough to live on otherwise. “We must not create the impression that every citizen’s allowance recipient is shirking work. This is a small group and we must differentiate. I warn against pitting population groups against each other” Miersch said.
Regarding the demand by CDU General Secretary Carsten Linnemann to “get to the substance” of the citizen’s allowance, Miersch stated that the coalition must discuss what constitutes the substance. The SPD agrees with the idea of sanctioning misbehavior, but it cannot support a “blanket reduction of benefits.