Overview

• Bürgergeld expenditures rose by 10% in 2024, reaching €46.9 billion, with administrative costs under scrutiny for inefficiency.
• The CDU, led by Friedrich Merz and Carsten Linnemann, is advocating for the program's abolition and stricter sanctions for non-compliance.
• RTL2 documentaries spotlight the daily challenges of recipients, including housing insecurity, debt repayment struggles, and compliance with jobcenter mandates.
• Individual cases reveal systemic issues, such as a mother of six struggling on limited income and another recipient facing €100,000 in debt.
• Coalition talks between the SPD and CDU signal potential reforms, including harsher penalties for work refusal and a shift toward stricter welfare policies.