German elections, all the promises of the parties on healthcare, pensions and welfare
In Germany, issues related to welfare and social rights are deeply felt by voters and often determine the success or defeat of a political party. Here is what the major parties propose, between similarities and differences
In a Germany that decides its future in a context of economic crisis and profound changes , social policies confirm themselves as a field of heated confrontation between the parties. While the country faces epochal challenges – from the aging population to the housing crisis – political forces propose different, sometimes radically opposing, recipes to guarantee stability and well-being for citizens. A debate that promises to be crucial for the formation of the next government, since, in Germany, issues related to welfare and social rights are deeply felt by voters and often determine the success or defeat of a political party.
THE BATTLE OF PENSIONS, BETWEEN PROMISES AND SUSTAINABILITY
On the social security front, the parties navigate with caution between the need to guarantee adequate pensions and that of maintaining the sustainability of the system. The SPD and the Greens defend the current level of benefits at 48%, while the Union focuses on stability guaranteed by economic growth, while trying to contain contributions. More innovative on this point is the Fdp's proposal, which imagines a "share pension" through the investment of part of the contributions in the financial markets. The easing of the Schuldenbremse , the debt brake, is taken up by the Greens also on this ground: the Grünen in fact plan a public fund financed with debt to support the lowest pensions.
The retirement age remains a sensitive issue: if the SPD, the Greens and the Union defend the system of early retirement after 45 years of contributions, the FDP proposes greater flexibility, with incentives for those who choose to work longer. On this point, however, there are openings on the part of the Union.
AfD instead announces the development of a pension system reform to combat poverty in old age. It intends to integrate more taxpayers, make the retirement age more flexible and finance non-contributory benefits from the federal budget.
On the Bürgergeld , the guaranteed minimum income, the positions between the parties are becoming more distant: the Union, the FDP and the AfD are calling for a drastic reform with greater obligations for the beneficiaries, while the SPD and the Greens favor an approach based on training and retraining.
THE HOUSING QUESTION, A CRUCIAL NOBLE
The rent problem deeply divides the parties between supporters of regulation (SPD and Greens) and supporters of the free market (Union and FDP). The latter focus on simplifying building regulations to increase housing supply, while the former insist on price controls.
Access to real estate ownership sees diversified approaches: the Union and the FDP propose tax exemption for the first home, the Greens focus on the redevelopment of existing properties, while the SPD launches the " Jung kauft Alt " program to encourage the purchase of homes by young people through subsidized loans and incentives for energy requalification.
HEALTH, SEARCHING FOR NEW SOLUTIONS
The healthcare sector, despite the growing critical issues, does not seem to inspire particularly innovative proposals. The debate focuses on the possible unification of public and private health insurance, supported by the SPD and the Greens but opposed by the Union and the FDP. Digitalisation, with the introduction of the electronic health record, represents one of the few convergences between the parties.
Regarding care for the elderly, the SPD proposes to integrate private insurance into the risk compensation system and to limit the expenses borne by those assisted in residential facilities to 1,000 euros per month. The Union prefers a mixed approach, combining compulsory insurance, company contributions and private savings. Greens and Conservatives agree that more support for home care is needed.
A CRUCIAL MOMENT FOR THE FUTURE OF WELFARE
The elections loom as a crucial moment for the future of German welfare. Citizens will have to choose between profoundly different visions: on the one hand those who favor the market and individual responsibility, on the other those who focus on greater public intervention and regulation. A choice that will determine not only Germany's social model, but also its ability to face the demographic and economic challenges of the coming decades.
At stake is not only the technical management of welfare systems, but a real vision of society, observe the experts of the Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung , a public foundation that has been producing the Wahl-O-Mat, an online tool, since 2002. free which, through a series of questions, compares citizens' political opinions with those of the running parties, helping them choose who to vote for. The depth of the current economic crisis recalls the times of the second Schröder government, when Germany, considered the sick man of Europe, found itself faced with drastic choices on a social level. The consequences of those choices shaped the Germany of the 1910s but also had a fundamental impact on the consensus of the parties.
(3. end; the first two articles on electoral programs can be read here and here )
This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Start Magazine at the URL https://www.startmag.it/mondo/germania-programmi-partiti-sanita-welfare/ on Thu, 23 Jan 2025 06:54:32 +0000.