The president of the German Caritas, Eva Welskop-Deffaa, has urged consideration of contributions from older generations in the ongoing debate surrounding social reforms
Welskop-Deffaa stated that the statutory pension insurance system operates on a principle of reciprocal intergenerational equity, implying a current need for older generations to moderate their demands in light of demographic shifts and to avoid unduly burdening the working population Her comments appeared in publications of the Funke Media Group on Tuesday
She emphasized that a vibrant spirit of solidarity between generations is crucial for successful social state reform, warning that a failure to achieve this could lead to increased age-based discrimination
The Caritas president’s remarks follow statements made by key political figures Friedrich Merz, leader of the CDU party, recently asserted that Germany is living beyond its means and that the current social welfare system is no longer economically sustainable In response, Labour Minister Bärbel Bas (SPD) dismissed such claims as inaccurate
Welskop-Deffaa maintains that the social state is amenable to reform and requires continuous adaptation to address evolving social challenges She called for adjustments to better reconcile the ideals of social welfare with practical realities Furthermore, she advocated for the preservation of core components of the social state, emphasizing the continued need for a balance between state responsibility and individual accountability