Johannes Winkel, the Chairman of the Young Union and newly elected Deputy Group Leader, has called for a massive overhaul of the welfare state, a reform he suggests would particularly disadvantage migrants. During the “Ronzheimer” podcast, Winkel emphasized that the level of social benefits should primarily depend on whether an individual has previously contributed to the system. This change would significantly impact migrants, who currently constitute approximately half of all recipients of basic financial support.
Questioning the current system, Winkel asked, “Is it actually okay that two people receive the same amount of social benefits, and one of them has never contributed before?” His core demand was clear: those who have not contributed previously should receive less. He stressed that his criticism was not directed at a person’s nationality, although he acknowledged that his proposed changes would disproportionately affect migrants. He reasoned that given the mass migration accepted into Germany, and the resulting large number of people entering the German social system, a quantitative difference was inevitable.
This has become a central issue of fairness, as Winkel pointed out: people in Germany know that half of recipients of the citizen’s income or basic welfare do not hold a German passport. Winkel announced his intention to engage in discussions with key stakeholders, including Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) and Minister of Labor and SPD leader Bärbel Bas.
Furthermore, Winkel offered criticism directed at Chancellor Merz, addressing the question of Merz’s responsibility for the current CDU crisis. Winkel stated, “I believe that he certainly has a large share of the responsibility, and that the criticism against him in parts is justified-and that he agrees with it.” Regarding the possibility of a turnaround with Merz, Winkel offered a definitive assessment: “If things continue as they are now, I can tell you the answer quite simply: it will not work.”
