Sven Schulze, the Minister-President of Saxony-Anhalt and a CDU politician, has called for stricter measures and increased pressure on recipients of the Basic Subsistence Payment (Bürgergeld). Speaking to the “Rheinische Post” on Monday, Schulze stated that there are too many cases where people receive benefits without being required to contribute or provide counter-performance.
He argued that this practice is unfair to the funding side, which includes employed workers and entrepreneurs. Furthermore, it is seen as unfair to those who are making contributions despite facing significant challenges, such as single parents, individuals supplementing their income, or people undergoing language courses and retraining.
Schulze asserted that anyone who is fully capable of working, remains at home from Monday to Friday, and is not engaged in any activity, should not continue to receive benefits simply because they can. He highlighted that Saxony-Anhalt has thousands of open job positions, yet there are also many residents who are capable of working but are currently not doing so.
To illustrate the wasted potential, he used the example of the harvest season, noting that while apples are being picked, the help usually comes from Eastern Europe. Schulze questioned why the area is not utilizing this same potential among those currently receiving state payments.