The CDU’s leading candidate in Rhineland‑Palatinate, Gordon Schnieder, criticized CSU leader Markus Söder’s proposal to add an extra hour of work each week for public employees. He also rejected the union‑friendly idea of removing dental care from the public expense list. Schnieder said such abbreviated public proposals are “not serious”.
Speaking to the TV channel “Welt” on Monday, Schnieder noted that the people in the state understand that the social‑security system needs reform. What the public does not need is uncertainty, nor do they need sensational headlines about the issue-even from organisations that may be close to the party but are not the electorate’s own associations. This, he added, naturally breeds discontent. When he tackles a reform package, he insists on keeping it out of the public eye and instead discussing it privately.
Specifically addressing Söder, Schnieder warned that a shortened, headline‑driven debate-the “fight for the next headline”-is the wrong approach. The public already knows reforms are necessary, and the party has repeatedly asked how to create incentives for people to work more. Schnieder said he does not support Söder’s one‑hour‑per‑week suggestion; instead, the commission should work through the proposals in a serious manner and hold conversations that do not feed the public spectacle. The current focus, he criticised, appears to be purely a headline‑battle, which he calls unprofessional and unproductive.
