The Left party sharply criticized the federal government’s proposal to reform the citizens’ income system. Social policy spokesperson Cansin Köktürk said the promised “luxurious billions” that the Union claimed could be saved by cutting the citizens’ income are already proving to be a blatant lie. She added that by 2028 the new reform will cost more than it saves, largely because of higher staffing needs.
Köktürk described the Union’s approach as “a thoroughly rotten game in which it turned citizens’ income recipients into supposedly lazy, unwilling scapegoats”. She went on to note that, despite intense criticism from affected individuals, unions, social associations, advocacy groups, and even the staff councils of job centers, the government still plans to push forward with its proposal and put even more pressure on those who receive the benefits.
“Cutting or tightening benefits will create more fear for all workers, single parents, and sick people. If basic security is insufficient, it leads to greater hardship, hunger, and uncertainty” she warned. “As politicians, we must catch people, not let them fall. We cannot allow poverty to become the norm. This reform affects us all” she concluded.