FDP Aims for Citizen's Income Reform

In the political debate surrounding the citizens' income, new contours are emerging. The Free Democrats have laid a proposal on the table, which, even before the official presidium meeting, has caused hours rich in discussion within coalition circles. At the heart of the initiative is the intention to impose stricter sanctions for the refusal of a job by recipients. The party advocates for an immediate reduction of benefits by 30 percent, a change that deviates from the previous, more gradual approach. However, the plans of the FDP, which first became known to the public through 'Bild am Sonntag' and emerge from a two-page internal document, have not met with approval everywhere. They have particularly met with clear rejection from coalition partner SPD, and critics also fear social hardships. At the scheduled meeting of the FDP leadership in the federal capital, which is supposed to take place at 10:00 AM, the adoption of this paper is expected. The federal party congress of the liberal party on the following weekend is also eagerly anticipated, where delegates are supposed to make a final decision on the proposed measures. Following the conclusion of the presidium consultation, a press conference is also scheduled, where FDP Secretary-General Bijan Djir-Sarai and Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, the lead candidate for the European elections, will face the media. The so-called FDP paper contains a total of twelve points, which, according to the vision of the Liberals, are to contribute to an 'acceleration of the economic turnaround.' In addition to the controversial aspect of benefit reduction upon job rejection, the concept includes demands for the abolition of retirement at 63 and tax incentives for overtime. Furthermore, the Free Democrats advocate for the reduction of bureaucratic obstacles, which should have a positive impact particularly in the construction sector.