The Green Party is launching a scathing critique of the German government’s planned overhaul of the citizen’s allowance, a move slated to transition recipients to a new basic security system. Ahead of the first parliamentary debate on the proposed reforms, the Greens are presenting alternative proposals, arguing that poverty cannot be tackled through benefit cuts but requires a needs-based standard rate, sustainable placement support, qualification programs, fair wages and effective rent regulation.
According to a motion submitted to the Bundestag and reported by “T-Online”, the Greens accuse the government of embracing a “sanction fetishism” drawing a comparison to the tactics of former CDU leader Friedrich Merz, characterized by instilling fear and anxiety. A Green Party spokesperson, Timon Dzienus, described the government’s approach as a “social policy crash landing” voicing deep concern over what he termed the “excessive” use of sanctions.
The Green Party’s motion expressly rejects the proposed intensification of sanctions, including the potential for benefit withdrawal. Instead, they advocate for a basic security system guaranteeing the subsistence level, founded on principles of trust, qualification and individualized support. They warn that the government’s proposed sanctions will exacerbate poverty, deepen hardship, hinder participation and lead to isolation and resignation.
A key element of the Green’s proposal focuses on addressing rapidly rising rental costs. They advocate for enhanced tenant protections and empowering job centers with the personnel and structural capacity to scrutinize rents for exploitative practices and violations of rent control measures. They propose that job centers actively assist tenants in contesting excessive rents, effectively challenging landlords who disregard legal limits.
“Instead of sanctioning people, we should be sanctioning rent gouging” Dzienus suggested, arguing that true cost savings are achieved through ensuring affordable housing. He contends that all stakeholders, including the state budget, would ultimately benefit.
Furthermore, the Greens assert that the current benefit levels are inadequate, relying on outdated calculation bases that fail to reflect the current cost of living. They are demanding immediate recalculation of these rates, emphasizing the need for continuous inflation adjustments to safeguard the existence minimum even at the end of the year. Without such safeguards, they argue, the basic security system risks failing those who rely on it most.
