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Kai Gehring, education politician for the Green Party and chairman of the Bundestag Education Committee, is calling for an additional “future investment program in education” in addition to the recently launched billion-dollar program for hotspot schools. The funds could be financed, among other things, through a fairer inheritance tax and the reduction of climate-damaging subsidies, said Gehring in a theses paper for the upcoming Future Congress of the Green Party.

Expansion of educational programs and focus on elementary schools

According to a report in the “Rheinische Post” in its Monday edition Kai Gehring developed a thesis paper in which he emphasizes that “the revenue from a fairer inheritance tax system or the reduction of climate-damaging subsidies could be used to invest in educational opportunities for young people.” A specific focus should be placed on primary schools. The proposed program should have a duration of at least ten years.

Federal Center for Digital Education and Media Education

In addition to his call for an additional future investment program, Gehring is also in favor of setting up a “Federal Center for Digital Education and Media Education”.

Pact for future skills against disinformation

A “pact for future skills” is intended to better prepare students for the world of tomorrow and protect them from “fake news, disinformation and authoritarian propaganda from anti-democratic forces”. This is another suggestion from the Green Party’s education politician as part of his thesis paper for his party’s upcoming future congress.

✨ edited by AI, September 30, 2024 00:43.

The Union criticizes the planned increase in the contribution assessment limits in health and pension insurance and calls for reforms. The FDP advocates an automatic relief mechanism, while the SPD considers the planned step to be necessary. The Left and the Sahra Wagenknecht coalition have more far-reaching reform proposals.

Union and FDP criticize

Tino Sorge (CDU), the health policy spokesman for the Union faction in the Bundestag, criticized the planned increase in the contribution assessment limits. He told the “Welt” that the “traffic light coalition lacks the strength and consensus for reforms” in both statutory health insurance (GKV) and pension insurance. Sorge suggests that relief of around ten billion euros could be achieved if the costs for non-insurance services were adequately offset. A further five billion euros could be saved by reducing the VAT on pharmaceuticals.

Pascal Kober (FDP), Social policy spokesman for the FDP parliamentary group, expressed rather quiet criticism. He explained that linking the assessment limits to wage development was a tried and tested instrument and would prevent political gamesmanship. At the same time, however, he called for the introduction of automatic mechanisms to relieve the burden on citizens, such as in the case of bracket creep.

SPD sees increase as necessary

Martin Rosemann (SPD), Social policy spokesman for the SPD, stressed to the “Welt” that the increase in income limits was a necessary step. Without an adjustment of the assessment limits, insured persons would receive lower pensions despite rising wages, as contributions are only collected up to the assessment limit.

Left and Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance call for far-reaching reforms

Matthias W. Birkwald (Die Linke), pension policy spokesman for his parliamentary group, proposes introducing an employment insurance scheme into which all employed people would pay contributions up to four times the average salary. He also calls for the contribution assessment ceiling in pension insurance to be doubled.

Andrej Hunko, The alliance’s health policy spokesperson, Sahra Wagenknecht, is calling for a fundamental reform of health insurance. He is aiming to abolish the contribution assessment limit and reduce the number of statutory health insurance companies. According to him, this could reduce contributions by up to four percentage points.

✨ edited by AI, September 17, 2024 17:58.