Overview

• Speaking at the Initiative Neue Soziale Marktwirtschaft’s 25‑year event, Markus Söder said there are large savings potentials in social benefits and singled out the Bürgergeld, citing an “inequality gap.”
• Söder said statutory health insurance contributions must not rise and called for reforms with more competition among sickness funds, greater digitization, and a review of fees and benefits, with a proposal expected from Health Minister Nina Warken.
• He defended the planned expansion of the Mütterrente, noting the coalition agreement to grant three pension points to all mothers funded from general taxation.
• Reporting highlights ongoing disagreement within the Union–SPD coalition over how much can be saved from the Bürgergeld and which measures to pursue.
• TAG24 reported that Söder intends to slim Bavaria’s state apparatus by cutting about 10,000 civil‑service positions by 2040.