(de-news.net) – Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier’s recent appeal for a comprehensive overhaul of Germany’s welfare system has garnered explicit support from the CDU. Carsten Linnemann, General-Secretary of the CDU, affirmed the party’s alignment with the President’s position, emphasizing the immediate necessity of reform. He underscored the imperative to dismantle structural barriers and curtail systemic abuse, framing these measures as essential to ensuring the long-term viability of the welfare state.
Echoing President Steinmeier’s call for political courage, Linnemann noted that the public is acutely aware of the urgency surrounding welfare reform. He characterized the present moment as a singular opportunity—unparalleled in the past two decades—to enact substantive change. “We must deliver quickly,” he stated, confirming the CDU’s readiness to engage constructively and decisively in the reform process.
President Steinmeier had previously urged the governing coalition to pursue swift and meaningful improvements to enhance both the efficiency and citizen-centric orientation of the welfare system. Speaking at the 83rd German Welfare Congress in Erfurt, he identified key areas for intervention, including the correction of systemic misalignments, the refinement of social transfer mechanisms, and the intensification of safeguards against misuse. Furthermore, he advocated for the digitization of administrative workflows and the strengthening of interagency cooperation—reforms he described as long overdue.