The Federal Government has focused on one Reform of citizens’ money agreed, and even the name is new: in the future, the social benefit will be called basic security. This will change a lot for around five and a half million people in Germany. Anyone who refuses work that is considered reasonable or does not show up for appointments at the job center several times must expect cuts. At the same time, the coalition promises to improve job placement and provide greater support for the long-term unemployed. But the path to this agreement was fraught with conflict. The SPD and the Union argued for weeks about sanctions, obligations and the question of how much pressure the state can exert. Anna Mayreditor in the capital office of ZEIT, followed the debate about the reform intensively. In the podcast she explains why the coalition was so divided and what would help job seekers find a long-term job.
A government survey took place in the Bundestag today. For an hour, Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) answered questions from MPs on various topics. Among other things, he spoke about Ukraine and the economic situation in Germany.
Also in the update:
- White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles said in interviews with the magazine Vanity Fair spoke surprisingly critically about her boss, US President Donald Trump. He had the “personality of an alcoholic,” said Wiles. After the article was published, however, Wiles accused the magazine of taking quotes out of context. Kerstin Kohlenberg explains what intentions Wiles might have.
- The Director and author Rosa von Praunheim died at the age of 83. Just last week he married his long-time partner Oliver Sechting. The filmmaker, born Holger Radtke in 1942, made film history with more than 150 short and feature films and is considered a pioneer of the modern gay movement.
And otherwise? A jogger is harassed by a man while running and immediately arrests him herself
Moderation and production: Azadê Peşmen
Editor: Ole Pflueger
Cooperation: Konstantin Hadzi-Vuković
You can find all episodes of our podcast here. Questions, criticism, suggestions? You can reach us at wasjetzt@zeit.de.
