One of Germany’s largest welfare organizations, Diakonie Deutschland, has voiced cautious support for Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s recent announcement regarding the need to “future-proof” the country’s social security systems. While acknowledging the necessity of reform, Diakonie President Rüdiger Schuch cautioned against creating a climate of fear surrounding the issue.
“The Chancellor ultimately needs not only a political majority for his reforms, but also societal support” Schuch stated in an interview with the “Süddeutsche Zeitung”. He emphasized that any restructuring will fail without broad public acceptance, warning the Chancellor against instilling anxiety among citizens. “We agree with the Chancellor’s goal, but I have my doubts about the approach” he added.
Schuch also expressed concern over the government’s decision not to include welfare organizations in the various commissions tasked with reforming the social security system. “We are the ones providing social work on the ground daily and can therefore report from practical experience what works and what doesn’t” he explained. He suggested that the government appears to favor a more top-down, paternalistic approach to reform, rather than one informed by direct experience.
Diakonie, alongside organizations such as Caritas and the Red Cross, collectively operates approximately 105,000 social facilities across Germany, including hospitals, kindergartens and care homes. These organizations, employing nearly 630,000 people, contribute over five percent to Germany’s overall economic output with an annual turnover exceeding 200 billion euros.
Schuch advocated for streamlining the complex landscape of often overlapping social services and consolidating benefits. “This bureaucratic tangle is incredibly expensive and also leads to a loss of overview” he said, pointing out that individuals often fail to access benefits they are entitled to. “That can’t be the intention.
He stressed the fundamental importance of social security alongside physical and internal security, arguing that without public trust in the system, any reforms would be ineffective. The Chancellor had previously stated that the current social security system is unsustainable in its present form, necessitating reform.