Germany’s lower house of parliament, the Bundestag, voted on Thursday to pass sweeping reforms to the country’s primary long-term unemployment benefit, called "citizen’s allowance" (Bürgergeld). The federal coalition government, comprised of the Christian Union parties (CDU/CSU) and Social Democratic Party (SPD), supported the reforms, while opposition parties voted against. Under the new rules, benefit recipients who are deemed fit for work will be required to cooperate more actively with Germany's Jobcentres. During the last election campaign, the CDU/CSU parties said that reforming Bürgergeld could lead to potential savings running into the billions. Chancellor Friedrich Merz welcomed the Bundestag vote, writing on X: “Everyone who is able to work should actually work.

Source: The Local March 05, 2026 16:25 UTC