Working on social investments and fighting child poverty: Parity overall association criticizes Agree on the Federal Budget 2025

Working on social investments and fighting child poverty: Parity overall association criticizes Agree on the Federal Budget 2025

"Bundes budget: the smallest denominator instead of big litter"

The federal budget announced today for 2025 triggered deep concern at the parity overall association. Instead of marking a big throw, the agreement is more of a common denominator. Joachim Rock, Head of the Department of Social and European Politics and designated general managing director of the Parity Association.

The association fears that the coalition has evaluated compliance with the debt brake higher than the support of people in need and promoting social offers. The slight increase in child benefit and the immediate surcharge is rated positively, but is not sufficient. In 2023, almost every fourth child in Germany was threatened or affected by poverty and exclusion. So that family poverty can be reduced, further measures are urgently required. In order to counteract a capitulation before child poverty, Rock emphasizes the need for additional measures.

Positive to note the investment of two billion euros in daycare quality. The stabilization of federal programs for democracy projects and voluntary services is also generally welcomed.

The association, however, sharply criticizes the announced tightening of sanctions in the citizens' allowance and the withdrawal of the unbureaucratic regulations on maternity leave for people who are temporarily dependent on support. The traffic light coalition disappointed and threatens to make it back in comparison to previous progress. The necessary expansion of employment promotion remains, while again shortened at the expense of those who already have too little.

The parity overall association also complains about the lack of a clear commitment to the social design of ecological transformation. The climate and transformation fund threatens to experience cuts. It is now on the Bundestag to ensure security for social investments in sustainability, emphasizes the association.

The agreement on the Federal Budget 2025 is therefore less a big throw, but rather the smallest common denominator, which was achieved at the expense of social investments and broad population groups.