Berlin (dpa -AfX) – Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) has spoken out for noticeable cuts in recipients of citizens’ money. A cap in the rental costs and a review of the granted apartment size are conceivable, said Merz in the ARD “summer interview”.
“In the big cities, they sometimes have up to 20 euros per square meter that you get from the social welfare office or from the Federal Agency for rent,” said Merz, “and if you calculate that, that is already 2,000 euros a month with 100 square meters. A normal family of workers cannot afford that.” Therefore, the government wants to dismantle the government.
Merz said: “Flat -rate is possible, lower sentences are possible – but all of this is on the test bench of the coalition and we talk about it.” The job center assumes the costs for accommodation and heating for citizens’ fees, although this amount must already be “appropriate” today.
Merz wants to save more with citizens’ money
“It is supposed to mean basic security and no more citizenship – and there is more to save more than just one or two billion,” said Merz to a question. Federal Minister of Labor Bärbel BAS (SPD) wants to present the draft for a citizen benefit reform after the summer break. In 2026, the reform anchored in the coalition agreement is due to come into force, as Merz confirmed. “It has to have an effect.” You have to readjust again and again, for example with the rules, which job offers are considered reasonable.
With “sudden unemployment” he could even imagine an increase in sentences, so that people have security if they were looking for a job again, said the Chancellor.
Merz against organized citizens’ money tricks
According to Merz, the reform should work against undeclared work and organized increase in minor employment or part -time wages with citizens’ money. “In some cases, this is even properly organized that people only go into minor employment, become a top -up, become undeclared work – we know that undeclared work has increased in recent years,” said Merz. “The system is wrong, and we have to correct that.”
Merz expects heated discussions about Germany’s social systems this autumn. The preparatory work for large -scale reforms was already partly in specially used commissions. “In autumn we will have intensive discussions in which direction we go.” He shares the widespread concerns about the financability of the state. There will also be talking about the level of performance of social security ./bw/mfi/dp/nas