The Green Party is launching a scathing critique of the German government’s proposed overhaul of social welfare benefits, dubbed the “new basic security” ahead of the first parliamentary debate. Their counter-proposal directly challenges the government’s planned transition from the existing citizen’s allowance, arguing that poverty cannot be tackled through benefit cuts, but rather through a needs-based allowance, sustainable job placement, skill development, fair wages and robust rent regulation.
According to a Green Party motion submitted to the Bundestag and reported by “T-Online”, the government’s approach is characterized as “a veritable sanctions fetishism” reminiscent of tactics employed to instill fear. Green Party social policy spokesperson Timon Dzienus described the plan as a “social policy crash landing” accusing the administration of “massively overstretching” the use of sanctions and fostering a climate of anxiety.
Central to the Green Party’s opposition is the government’s proposed escalation of sanctions, potentially leading to benefit suspension. Their motion champions a basic security system predicated on trust, focused on individual support and skill-building, rather than punitive measures. The Greens contend that these stricter sanctions will exacerbate poverty, deepen hardship, obstruct participation in society and lead to isolation and resignation.
Beyond simply opposing stricter penalties, the Green Party’s motion places significant emphasis on housing affordability. They propose bolstering tenant protections and empowering job centers to actively investigate instances of rent gouging and violations of rent control laws. Job centers would be tasked with assisting tenants in challenging excessive rents.
“Instead of sanctioning individuals, we are sanctioning unscrupulous landlords” Dzienus argued, suggesting a shift in focus towards addressing the root causes of financial strain. He posits that truly substantial savings could be achieved by ensuring access to affordable housing, ultimately benefiting both individuals and the state treasury.
Further criticism is directed at the inadequacy of current benefit levels, which the Greens claim are based on outdated calculations and fail to adequately cover the cost of living. They are calling for an urgent recalculation of the basic allowance, incorporating a long-term inflation buffer to ensure the cost of living is factored in throughout the year, preventing a situation where the basic allowance falls short of the minimum requirements by December. This represents a direct challenge to the government’s underlying economic assumptions and its approach to social welfare reform.