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CDU reform of citizens' benefit: a blow to workers' rights?
The CDU is planning a reform of the citizen's benefit system to provide new basic security for job seekers, while the debate about social justice and labor market incentives continues.
CDU reform of citizens' benefit: a blow to workers' rights?
In Germany, the discussion about citizens' money is in full swing. Today, June 12, 2025, the grand coalition is faced with the challenge of converting the existing citizens' benefit system into a new basic security for job seekers. How Jacobin reports, the CDU has been fighting to abolish citizens' money since the election campaign, while the SPD is more open to adjustments. The newly appointed Labor Minister Bärbel Bas has already confirmed that rapid reform is on the agenda.
On the other hand, Carsten Linnemann from the CDU emphasizes that the substance of the system must be addressed. However, the planned changes to citizens' money are more complicated than simply abolishing it. The introduction of citizens' money, which has replaced the previous Hartz IV regulation since January 2023, was never without controversy and was particularly criticized by the FDP.
Citizens' money: Between social security and labor market incentives
At its core, the debate revolves around social justice, economic sustainability and the effects of citizens' benefits on the labor market. The amount of benefits is a central point of contention, such as Bürgergeld.org shows. Critics, including FDP parliamentary group leader Christian Dürr, consider the current rates to be too generous for fear that they could reduce the incentive to take up work. Proponents, on the other hand, advocate adapting to the rising cost of living in order to ensure a decent life.
In addition, data shows that the number of recipients of citizenship benefits has not increased dramatically. A study by the IAB even documents a decline in the number of jobs taken up by those receiving basic security benefits by almost six percent in the first year. Doubts about a direct connection between the introduction of citizens' money and labor market participation are therefore more than justified.
The role of sanctions and social values
The discussion about sanctions is also explosive. While CDU General Secretary Linnemann calls for citizens' benefits to be abolished for "total refusers", supporters of a less strict sanctions regime argue that aid is more effective than punishment. Studies show that around four out of ten people who are eligible do not take advantage of the citizen's benefit, often due to stigma and bureaucratic hurdles. This suggests that the actual cost of the system is lower than expected.
The discussion about citizens' money reflects fundamental social beliefs. The path to a system that guarantees social security on the one hand and offers incentives to take up work on the other remains a challenge. The welfare state in Germany, like that Böckler Institute states, is under pressure - especially in view of the ongoing debates about cuts and reforms, which leave fundamental years of reform such as Schröder's "Agenda 2010" still controversial.
The bottom line is that citizens' money remains a central point of discussion in German social policy. Whether and how the grand coalition will carry out the reform of basic security in order to master the balancing act between social demands and economic needs is currently unclear.