In light of the AfD’s landslide victory in the state election in Saxony-Anhalt, SPD leader Bärbel Bas suggested potential consequences for the planned reforms of the federal government. Speaking in Berlin on Monday afternoon, Bas stated, “We decided on reforms because they are necessary if our social security systems are to survive in the future and if the economy is to get back into motion.”
However, she stressed that social reforms cannot be implemented at the expense of the people. “We want secure jobs, good wages, and prices that are falling, not rising,” Bas emphasized, asserting that all these elements must be mutually compatible.
The SPD chair further noted that people across the country have unanswered questions, particularly concerning pensions, health, and care. She added that those who have worked throughout their lives deserve to rely on security in their old age, and that better support is needed for those caring for relatives at home. Bas warned that if citizens hear that they must work more and longer, become less healthy, or generally face harsher conditions, it will generate uncertainty and mistrust. “And this type of rhetoric is unhelpful. In fact, it is damaging,” she remarked.
The SPD’s goal, according to Bas, is to remain capable of action. “And we are fighting for trust-both after the election and leading into future elections,” she concluded.
