The Premier of Saxony, Michael Kretschmer, is advocating for a significant shift in Germany’s economic policy aimed at stimulating growth.
In remarks to “Welt am Sonntag”, Kretschmer emphasized the need for “deregulation and a reduction in state intervention, particularly in economic life”. He argued that Europe and Germany specifically, should function as “a space of freedom, not of regulation.
Kretschmer proposed revisiting existing legislation concerning part-time employment, suggesting a reduction in the scope of laws governing part-time and fixed-term contracts to a “minimum level.
Furthermore, the Premier indicated a desire to strengthen requirements surrounding sick leave. He highlighted Germany’s comparatively high rates of short-term sick leave across Europe, proposing the introduction of a waiting day – a day of unpaid leave – at the beginning of any sick leave period. “Those who are genuinely ill must be able to recover and continue to receive their wages” Kretschmer stated, “but what about one-day illnesses?” He believes a waiting day would discourage brief, non-serious sick leave requests.
