"No effort expected" - Merz criticizes lax handling of the long-term unemployed

According to CDU leader Friedrich Merz, the labor shortage in Germany could be partially solved by activating the unemployed. “Of the approximately 2.5 million unemployed, half would definitely be placed in the labor market immediately. However, there are no incentives," said Merz of "Bild am Sonntag".

From Merz's point of view, the traffic light government made up of SPD, Greens and FDP has given up the principle of "support and demand". “The long-term unemployed are not expected to make any effort to find a job for half a year now. It's a completely wrong signal at a completely wrong time," he said.

The background: job seekers will have to fear fewer Hartz IV sanctions by the middle of next year. One reason for the moratorium is the citizen's allowance planned for 2023 instead of the current Hartz IV system, which should also be linked to a new regulation for sanctions. In addition, the legislature must implement a decision of the Federal Constitutional Court from 2019.

The possibility of reducing unemployment benefit II by 30 percent in the event of a breach of duty will be suspended for one year. This applies, for example, if reasonable work is not accepted. However, in the event of repeated failure to register or missed deadlines, there is a risk of benefit cuts of up to 10 percent of the standard rate.

In the interview, Merz also warned of a power failure in winter. "There is a risk of the power grid being completely overloaded in autumn and winter and an inadequate power supply," said Merz.

If only every fifth gas customer heats with electricity this winter, the electricity demand of private households will double, said Merz. "If this government continues like this and sticks to the nuclear phase-out for ideological reasons, we are threatened with a blackout at the beginning of next year."

Merz called for the ordering of new fuel rods for the continued operation of at least the three nuclear power plants in Germany that have not yet been shut down: "We would have made sure by August at the latest that new fuel rods would have been ordered at least for the three nuclear power plants that are still running, possibly also for the three , which were decommissioned in the last year. This would initially provide a total of 20 million households with a secure supply of electricity.”

Because of the energy crisis, which has been exacerbated by the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, there has been a debate for months as to whether the three remaining nuclear power plants should run longer, even though their power operation authorization expires at the end of the year. The federal government consisting of the SPD, Greens and FDP is currently testing the security of the power supply in a stress test. Then she wants to decide whether the nuclear power plants will run a little longer.