CDU General Secretary Carsten Linnemann has called for the state to take a much tougher stance against the misuse of social benefits. Speaking to “Bild” he stated that “we must do more” regarding social fraud, demanding that anyone who is wanted in Germany with an arrest warrant should be ineligible to receive any amount of the Bürgergeld allowance. He also criticized the situation involving people from Romania and Bulgaria who, according to Linnemann, enter Germany, work for only a few hours, top up the rest of their income, and still engage in illegal labor.
Conversely, Linnemann strongly cautioned against any potential cuts to the parental allowance (Elterngeld). He asserted that the parental allowance is not a social benefit at all; rather, it is a promise to the younger generation and to families in Germany. He emphasized that this support is necessary not just to make family possible, but to actively support it, noting that families are required to preserve Germany’s future viability. Due to this importance, he stressed that extreme caution must be used regarding this policy, warning that touching it would send a fundamentally wrong signal to society.
Despite making these strong policy demands, Linnemann conceded that he was entitled to express his own opinion as a general secretary of a major party. He concluded by stating that ultimately, attention must be paid to the resulting compromise.
