The challenges of Germany's Welfare State

Résumé du document

In German, the phrase Sozialstaat (social state) has been in use since 1870. The English equivalent of this term, 'welfare State', is believed to have been coined by the Archbishop of Canterbury William Temple during the Second World War. 'Welfare State' describes a provision of welfare services by the state, or a combination of independent, voluntary, mutualist and government services . The function provider of benefits and services may be a central or state government, a state-sponsored company or agency, a private corporation, a charity or another form of the non-profit organisation. By international standards, the German welfare system is quite generous and the German people are attached to solidarity as a value. As a FES opinion poll on value preferences, points out, social justice and solidarity are the two values most favoured by the German people with respectively 6.3 and 6.1 preference values, on a scale from 1 to 7 .

Extraits

[...] A high rate of unemployment The high rate of unemployment is a further issue of how to keep viable the German pension scheme. In million people were out of work, representing of the population, a post World War Two record. In 2006, the unemployment rate slowly decreased from of the population to a rate that stayed stable in the first months of the year 2007[24]. This high rate of unemployment, despite heavy unemployment benefits to be paid by the state creates a vicious circle. [...]

[...] It has therefore been talked of reforming the Federal state, a still very controversial issue. Ever since September 2006[29] the reform has been effective, which constitutes the most extensive reform of the Basic Law since 1949. For example the reform has diminished the number of laws requiring approval by the Bundesrat prior to enactment from around 60 percent to 35 to 40 percent. In return, the federal states enjoy more leeway with regard to legislation, primarily with regard to education policy. [...]

[...] The crisis of the German decision-making model The German system of government is characterised by complex veto arrangements that constantly force decision-makers to negotiate and often involve them in a difficult search for a compromise. This system has been highly criticised as it is said it entails the ability of the Chancellor to set the direction of government policy. And because the government's actions always require the backing of its constituent parliamentary parties, there is a risk that radical decisions will be blocked for party- political gain, such as a reform of Germany Welfare State. [...]

[...] Those who have more children should be able to draw a correspondingly higher pension that is financed by the future generation. The pensions of those who have only one child or none at all should be smaller. would however restrict this obligation to save for your future in a Riester plan to childless people.[35] Those people who have children and have thus created a safeguard for the payment of pensions in the future are not in a position to save. [...]

[...] to have children or not. Specific measures regarding the health system stop the wage related contribution The present method of financing the system using wage-related contributions is considered by many as unfair. What one pays does not always reflect the financial capacity of the insured person, as it was originally intended. Those who earn more than the contribution ceiling or earn income from other sources, for example, income from rent or interest, do not have this income included in the assessment of their premium, although this income enhances their financial capacity. [...]