Nina Warken, the Federal Minister of Health and chair of the Women’s Union, is determined to uphold the goal of achieving greater equality in the parental benefit system. The CDU politician told the Süddeutsche Zeitung that the coalition agreement clearly states that the limits, as well as the minimum and maximum benefit rates should be raised. The agreement also holds that the SPD and the Union have agreed to establish incentives to encourage more “partnership” between parents.
Specifically, the contract stipulates that incentives should be created to ensure “especially more fathers’ participation taking on sole responsibility”. Therefore, the parental benefit is meant to function as a tool that promotes greater gender equality in the distribution of care work. Warken affirmed that this forward development of the parental benefit is something the parties must maintain.
She stressed that for the Union, and particularly for the Women’s Union, the parental benefit is a core issue. It is a “central family policy achievement that families in Germany are rightfully counting on” and she cautioned against disappointing that public trust.
However, internal discussions within the government parliamentary groups have emerged regarding how and whether these benefits should be reduced. Possible options being considered include shortening the total length of the parental benefit reception period, or extending the so-called “fathers’ months”. If the full 14 months of parental benefits are to be utilized, both parents would need to take more than two months of leave.
Despite this discussion, there is significant opposition to measures that would allow mothers to receive less than 12 months of basic parental benefit. Silke Launert, a CDU member of parliament and board member of the Women’s Union in Bavaria, warned against this possibility. Telling the SZ, she does not favor a policy that effectively limits women to fewer than 12 months of leave through a half-division system. While she supports necessary savings in government spending, she noted that the parental benefit is the largest expense item for the Ministry of Family Affairs, making it a logical place for cuts. Karin Prien, the Federal Minister for Family Affairs (CDU), recently added to this discussion in a Deutschlandfunk interview, stating that “every woman must be able to be in receipt of parental benefit for twelve months”.
