Greens member Timon Dzienus has slammed the planned re‑design of Bürgergeld into a new form of basic security as a “vote of no confidence against our own people”.
Speaking to the T‑Online news portal, the social‑policy expert warned that the reform would make the country less fair, not more. “Bürgergeld was the safety net for all employees and the last lifeline for 1.8 million children living in poverty” he said. “Now Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) openly threatens sanctions and homelessness”.
Dzienus added that the new basic security offers no benefit for any worker – “no employee has even a single euro more in their pocket”. He argues that it does not save the state money, because employment would need to be increased instead. “Studies show that people who are sanctioned lose confidence in job centres and suffer higher rates of mental illness. More sanctions actually produce fewer job‑seekers” he said.