In a recent appearance on the ARD flagship program “Bericht aus Berlin” Germany’s Finance Minister urged that the country needs fundamental structural reforms. “I believe we need structural reforms” he said, emphasizing that the social state must be made more efficient and that benefits should reach people more accurately and help them better. He echoed this expectation for the Ministry of Health, saying that similar improvements are required in health and nursing care.
The minister also noted that the Social Democratic Party (SPD) is closely examining ways to relieve both employees and employers. A priority under discussion is how to ensure that capital income contributes more significantly to the economy. “This is a discussion we are having” he added, affirming that the SPD supports such measures.
When asked about proposals from the Health Minister for reforming the healthcare system, the Finance Minister expressed keen interest, warning that any lack of concrete plans would stall progress. “It must not happen” he clarified, “that ministers come without something on the table and we fail to move forward”. He stressed that this year should see some of the country’s most significant bottlenecks cleared. “We need reforms in Germany, and we are prepared for that”.
