Kubicki sees "mistake" in citizens' allowance for Ukrainian refugees
The second supplementary budget for 2021 is unconstitutional. This was decided by the Federal Constitutional Court. On the ARD talk show Maischberger, Wolfgang Kubicki and Janine Wissler argue about it - the FDP deputy leader also has several proposals on refugee policy.
The ruling by the Federal Constitutional Court came as a surprise to many. On Wednesday, the judges in Karlsruhe declared the supplementary budget for 2021 unconstitutional and null and void. The coalition government now has a problem. Because it is missing 60 billion euros, a six with ten zeros. The money, which was originally intended to be used to deal with the serious consequences of the coronavirus pandemic, had been earmarked by the government for many climate protection projects. On Wednesday evening's Maischberger talk show on German TV channel Ersten, deputy FDP leader Wolfgang Kubicki and Left Party leader Janine Wissler discussed the financial problems the German government now faces, among other things.
"It's a disaster for this government," said Kubicki, assessing the ruling by Germany's highest court. At the same time, the politician speaks of "a real challenge". The debt brake is now firmly cemented and in future all politicians will have to ensure that the state does not take on excessive debt.
Janine Wissler calls the Karlsruhe ruling "a slap in the face for the Federal Government and especially for the Minister of Finance". He did not want to tamper with the debt brake, but at the same time did not want to raise taxes. That's why the government had cheated and created special assets that were in fact debt. "And the court has said that this is not possible," said Wissler.
Kubicki blames Scholz and the CDU/CSU
Kubicki defended his party leader. He was in office when the supplementary budget was adopted in February 2022. The Ministry of Finance was responsible for the preparations when it was still headed by Olaf Scholz. "Of course, we would not have shared responsibility if we had known..." Kubicki doesn't get any further because he is interrupted by the presenter. However, he can say that the whole system was invented by the CDU.
Wissler wants to discuss the debt brake. The fact that it is in the Basic Law is not a law of nature. The Left had voted against the inclusion of the debt brake in the constitution. Wissler is against it. At the same time, she wants to increase taxes, but only for rich people. The Left is in favor of reintroducing the wealth tax, says the politician.
"We have made an election statement, and that is: no taxes will be raised in the period in which we are in government," Kubicki makes clear. However, he can imagine a reduction in subsidies. At the same time, he criticizes the citizen's income, especially its increase on 1 January 2024. "I'm not a fan of the citizen's income because we always have to make sure that it's still more worthwhile to work than not to work," says the FDP politician.
Less money for rejected asylum seekers?
It will not be possible to reverse the increase, says Kubicki. Nevertheless, he is calling for a far-reaching change. "In my view, it was a mistake, even if I can understand it from a human point of view, to immediately include Ukrainian refugees in the citizen's allowance, with higher benefits compared to asylum seekers." It was also a mistake to pay rejected asylum seekers citizen's allowance if they have been in Germany for longer than 18 months. "This must be corrected, because it is unfair and also inexplicable that people who have no right to stay in Germany should suddenly be entitled to all social benefits."
It is questionable whether Kubicki's ideas will get a majority in the traffic light coalition. Another of the politician's proposals is also unlikely to meet with approval from all coalition partners: Immigration bans for certain immigrant groups in areas with a high proportion of foreigners. "They will then have to move to other cities," he replies to Janine Wissler's question as to where these people should then move to.
Kubicki's explanation for his demand: "We have the tools to do this; if you really want integration, you can't allow us to have schools where 90 percent of children no longer speak German." Children who come to Germany can only develop in schools where they can follow the lessons and achieve a good school-leaving certificate.
Wissler does not agree with this proposal. Instead, she calls for schools to be better equipped. However, Wissler is also unclear how this is to be financed in the face of austerity measures by the federal and state governments.
Despite Kubicki's criticisms, the citizen's income for Ukrainian refugees remains a contentious issue. He suggests that the higher benefits for refugees compared to asylum seekers should be reevaluated, arguing that it's unfair and inexplicable for those with no legal right to stay in Germany to receive such benefits. Moreover, Wolfgang Kubicki, the FDP deputy leader, advocates for a reconsideration of the policy that allows rejected asylum seekers to receive citizen's income if they have been in Germany for longer than 18 months.
Source: www.ntv.de
