Greens Offer Government Cooperation on Social Reforms - Green Party pushes sweeping welfare reforms in Germany's social crisis
Green Party Leaders Propose Sweeping Social Reform Collaboration with Government
The co-leaders of the Green Party's parliamentary group in the Bundestag, Katharina Dröge and Britta Haßelmann, have offered the federal government broad cooperation on reforming Germany's welfare state. "Perhaps now, in times of crisis and uncertainty, is exactly when we need a wider consensus on major reforms," Dröge and Haßelmann write in a position paper published on Friday. The Green politicians propose an "Immediate Future Program" to overhaul the pension and healthcare systems.
The paper—first reported by Der Spiegel—states that the Greens are stepping outside the traditional role of parliamentary opposition. While acknowledging that opposition parties must hold the government to account, they argue: "Nonetheless, in this situation, where social reforms are so urgently needed, we should explore whether, beyond our fundamentally different positions, there is both the will and the capacity for a joint reform agenda."
The Greens also signal openness to amending the constitution to enable sweeping social reforms. "To make fundamental welfare state reform possible, changes to the Basic Law are necessary," Dröge and Haßelmann write. "We are prepared to engage in serious discussions on this."
The co-leaders identify urgent action areas across multiple sectors. "In pensions, healthcare, and long-term care, we cannot continue as before," they emphasize. "Germany's healthcare system is inefficient and too expensive, social security contributions are excessive—and yet patient care is not improving."
They warn that the labor shortage poses a major challenge to both the social system and the economy, calling for an "employment and skilled labor offensive." On pensions, Dröge and Haßelmann state: "We aim to permanently stabilize pension levels while ensuring sustainable, intergenerationally fair financing." To achieve this, they consider including lawmakers and civil servants in the statutory pension system "sensible and feasible."
The Green politicians also criticize the high cost of nursing home care, which they say is unaffordable for average earners. At the same time, they urge expansion of day-care facilities to enable "those in need of care to continue living at home while relieving the burden on family caregivers."
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