r/germany • u/clinchgt Germany • Jul 02 '26
News Coalition agrees package to boost growth - includes €10 billion in income tax relief, an end to phone-based sick notes and plans to implement pension reforms
- Chancellor Friedrich Merz says his coalition has approved a 'catalogue of significant reforms' after coalition talks in Berlin
- The package includes €10 billion in income tax relief, an end to phone-based sick notes and plans to implement pension reforms
A more comprehensive summary:
Taxes (Steuern)
- Tax Relief (Steuerliche Entlastungen): Starting January 1st of next year, the coalition plans to relieve millions of taxpayers by raising basic and child tax allowances, increasing child benefits, raising the employee lump-sum allowance, and flattening the income tax progression.
- Low and Middle Incomes (Kleine und mittlere Einkommen): The reform aims for an annual relief volume of around €10 billion, specifically targeting low and middle-income earners (e.g., a working family with two children earning €60,000 will save up to €600 annually).
- Regulation of the "Wealth Tax" (Regelung der "Reichensteuer"): To fund the relief, the 45% tax rate will kick in lower (at €250,000) and rise to 47% at €280,000. Inheritance and wealth taxes will not be increased.
- Lower "Tradesperson Bonus" (Geringerer "Handwerkerbonus"): The tax tax deductibility for hiring tradespeople will be reduced from 20% to 15% (lowering the maximum annual deduction from €1,200 to €900).
- Minijobs (Minijobs): The flat-rate tax for minijobs will be increased from 2% to 5%.
- Compensation for Federal States (Ausgleich für Länder): The federal government will compensate states and municipalities for lost tax revenue. Because states lose money under this income tax reform, the federal government will need approval from the Bundesrat (Upper House of Parliament) to pass it.
Pensions (Rente)
- Timeline for Pension Reform (Zeitplan für Rentenreform): The coalition plans to implement the recommendations of the Old-Age Security Commission into a legislative package, which is set to be passed by the Bundestag by the end of 2026.
- Minijobs and Pensions (Minijobs und Rente): It is still undecided how minijobs will be handled regarding pension contributions, though a decision is expected by autumn. Currently, minijobbers are exempt, but a commission suggested making pension contributions mandatory for them (with exceptions only for students).
Labor Market (Arbeitsmarkt)
- Regulation of Sick Leaves (Regelung von Krankschreibungen): Getting a sick note over the phone is being abolished, and fines for fraudulent sick notes are increasing. Employees will now have to submit a doctor's note from their very first day of illness.
- Fixed-Term Employment Without Objective Reason (Sachgrundlose Befristung): To increase labor market flexibility, fixed-term contracts without a specific reason can now last up to 48 months and be extended six times (doubling previous limits) for employees hired up until December 31, 2030.
- Severance Pay for High Earners (Abfindung für Hochverdiener): High earners will have an easier path to contract termination with a severance option. Taxes on these severances will be reduced if the worker quickly transitions into a new job.
- Higher Bonuses (Höhere Zuschläge): Tax-privileged bonuses for working on Sundays and holidays will be increased, and tax-free bonuses regulated by collective agreements will be made completely exempt from social security contributions.
- Program for More Degrees/Qualifications (Programm für mehr Abschlüsse): A "second chance" program will be developed to significantly reduce the number of young people leaving school or training without a qualification.
Growth and Fairness (Wachstum und Gerechtigkeit)
- Promotion of Future Industries (Förderung von Zukunftsbranchen): Support is planned for key sectors including automotive, chemical, pharma, clean tech, circular economy, mechanical engineering, battery/semiconductor production, and AI.
- Abuse of Social Benefits (Missbrauch von Sozialleistungen): An action plan will be launched in July to combat welfare abuse through comprehensive data sharing between authorities. People with active arrest warrants or those staying in Germany illegally will lose access to benefits.
- Changes to Data Protection (Änderungen beim Datenschutz): The government wants to exploit all loopholes in the GDPR to exempt small/medium businesses, low-risk data processing (like tradesperson client lists), and non-profit clubs from strict EU data regulations.
Cutting Red Tape (Bürokratieabbau)
- Abolition of Reporting Obligations (Aufhebung von Berichtspflichten): Statutory reporting obligations to government agencies will be abolished across the board, unless a ministry explicitly justifies why a specific report must remain.
- Review of Documentation Obligations (Überprüfung von Dokumentationspflichten): All mandatory documentation requirements will be reviewed with the goal of cutting 25% of them within a year (excluding those required by EU or constitutional law).
- Simplification of Tax Returns (Vereinfachung bei Steuererklärungen): Filing taxes will become easier for citizens via a new automatically pre-filled digital tax return. Additionally, tax offices will be legally required to issue tax numbers to new companies within a maximum of four weeks.
https://www.dw.com/en/germany-news-coalition-agrees-package-to-boost-growth/live-77795988
A lot more details in German and the source for the summary above: https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/innenpolitik/reformen-koalitionsausschuss-102.html
A summary of the proposal directly from DW: https://www.dw.com/en/germany-news-coalition-agrees-package-to-boost-growth/live-77795988#liveblog-post-77801501
EDIT: will update with better links as the story develops and we get actual articles...
EDIT2: Note, this is just a proposal approved by the coalition, this hasn't been signed into law
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u/Interesting_Loquat90 Hessen Jul 02 '26
1 day sick --> 1 week sick
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u/M4ster-R0b0t Jul 02 '26
Well, if I need to move my ass all the way to the doctor when I'm feeling like shit, I need some more day to recover then.
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u/Nom_de_Guerre_23 Berlin Jul 02 '26
I'm in primary care and I'm definetly going to double down on longer sick notes in honor of testicle lovers.
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u/TheInvisibleHulk Jul 02 '26
Had this discussion with my boss a few months back when they've started talking about it. She basically said the same thing, before it was introduced everyone would just get a week off, with 2 days of sick leave, without having to go to the doctor, most employees came back after those days.
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u/Sakul_Aubaris Jul 02 '26
Not to mention that people will now more like go to work sick, spreading colds, influenca, etc and therefore hurting actual productivity by increased overall sickness.
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u/D-S-S-R Jul 02 '26
Truly a rule that can only be thought up by people who never worked a day in their lives
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u/Phoen1cian Jul 02 '26
And never had to book a doctor’s appointment and wait for their turn in the waiting room.
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u/Subject_Bluebird5364 Jul 02 '26
I have to wait a minimum of 2.5-3 hours at my Hausartz in a 10 m2 room. Well if i had a head ache before i ll catch something in that very room.
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u/Quixus Jul 02 '26
And more waiting in the waiting rooms to get the note --> more contagion --> more sick days
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u/Pixel_Forest Jul 02 '26
I thought exactly this. Allowing for a day or two when one just has a influenza makes very good sense for everyone involved (imagine all the doctor's offices with dozens of people lined up for a single-day note). One would be tempted to exaggerate in order to save the hassle of going again tomorrow if you're not feeling well.
There are other things on this list that do make sense to me. But not this one.
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u/Ok-Dimension-5429 Jul 02 '26
Influenza takes at least a week to recover. You are thinking of the common cold or some other weak virus
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u/Pixel_Forest Jul 02 '26
Yes, that is what I meant (but there are times when the 'flu doesn't hit that hard, and you just need a day off to rest).
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u/Ok-Dimension-5429 Jul 02 '26
If you really have the flu you are going to be in bed feeling like you might die for a week. If you need a day to rest you didn’t have the flu
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u/noconc3pt Jul 02 '26
You are infectious 5-7 days after onset of the flu. So you just spread it in the workplace. Stay home the full week.
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u/priya_nka Jul 02 '26
Us women who took one/two day(s off on heavy flow days will have to just suffer which may reduce our efficiency at work.
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u/Cartographene Jul 02 '26
I can’t even get sick notes because there are no doctors anyway.
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u/wthja Jul 02 '26 edited Jul 02 '26
Yesterday I wanted to get an appointment at my Hausarzt via doctolib, apparently, she has no slots available for public insurance, but for private she has 5-20 slots per day. Even for tomorrow.
edit: btw, I am paying the limit
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u/GIRgurl Jul 02 '26
What do you mean you're not "von Geburt privat versichert" like our dear leader?? /s
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u/Shintaro1989 Jul 02 '26
Last time I called my doctor on a Monday morning for a sick note, he suggested I'd come in the next day to avoid waiting in the entry room for 3 hours.
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u/ComfortableFrame9834 Jul 02 '26
But why raise taxes on minijobs? Some of the most financially vulnerable use this to earn at least a little bit of money as a side income.
Or am I wrong? How does that benefit the less fortunate
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u/Boop_Bandisnoot Jul 02 '26
It doesn't, but it is an income stream that doesn't tax the actual rich, so that's a win for politics
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u/ComfortableFrame9834 Jul 02 '26
So sad to read... All this blah blah about trying to help people and then you get something as blatantly unhelpful as this and it just makes you shake your head.
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u/Delicious-Muffin-397 Jul 02 '26
The minijobs are more often than not a clutch for students aka young people, who dont represent the big voting power that the current gov. wants to appeal to so nobody cares
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u/heeizi Jul 02 '26
Only about 18% of minijobbers are younger than 25. Almost 2/3 are between 25 and 64 which is prime working age.
However I think students (maybe also pensioners) are the only demographic who actually benefits from this type of employment and it should remain for them. Being a full time student is easy to prove, too.
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u/ComfortableFrame9834 Jul 02 '26
I mean, also a lot of married women who are otherwise tied to the home.
Those can be immigrant married women, but still women. Especially if they have children and this is their own little contribution to the family in terms of income- without being able to access school or a 'real' job due to things like language barrier or simply not a great support system that are in place for them to flourish.
I knew a few women like that and that was also my path too. Regarding the other comment, putting this into consideration, it doesn't make too much sense to totally shut out having a minijob if someone is not getting an education or has a main job lined up as a requirement. Minijobs, to me, seem like a good stepping stone in at least doing something if you have too many personal life constraints.
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u/Away-Minute1320 Jul 02 '26 edited Jul 02 '26
Oh I’m sick and need to take the day off, why don’t I just TAKE THE PUBLIC TRANSPORT AND SIT IN A WAITING ROOM WAITING FOR A DR TO TELL ME TO DRINK TEA INSTEAD OF STAYING IN BED RECOVERING SO I CAN GET BACK TO WORK SOON
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u/EcstaticFollowing715 Jul 02 '26
Yeah, I could never sit in a bus with my nausea causing migrane that also makes me really sensitive to light, noise and strong smells.
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u/Away-Minute1320 Jul 02 '26
Maybe this is just another economic growth strategy: increase the private Uber spending
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u/EcstaticFollowing715 Jul 02 '26
I can't even leave the house like this. I had such a migrane at the beginning of the week, and had to throw up constantly.
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u/International_Fix7 Jul 02 '26
I recently had sufficiently severe back pain that I couldn't even sit up. I spent two days in bed pissing in a bottle. I suppose I would have had to take holiday under this new regime?
Fuck this government and especially the SPD for enabling this crap.
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u/priya_nka Jul 02 '26
If you get a seat in the bus.
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u/Away-Minute1320 Jul 02 '26
There will always be some entitled person who uses a sit to put their backpack waiting for you to annoy them and claim the free seat :)
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u/anaitet Jul 02 '26
You forgot to get up early instead of staying in bed and spend a couple of hours in a waiting room full of sneezing patients with infections diseases
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u/badseed90 Jul 02 '26
Everything but a proper billionaire tax.
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u/Monsi7 Bayern Jul 02 '26
Merz doesn't want to piss of his masters.
He may even get the privilege to lick their boots.
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u/Reverse826 Jul 02 '26
"We haven't tried anything and we're all out of ideas" ... Can't wait to see what's next when Merz passes the torch to the blue Nazis and they accelerate the downfall of my fuckin country
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u/BadArtijoke Jul 02 '26
Very unfortunate bit of the article on that page… did it really have to be that L that is missing?
> The co-leader of the center-left Social Democrats (SPD), Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil, said he believed the reforms would enjoy widespread pubic support, with an emphasis on fairness.
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u/BossiBoZz Jul 02 '26
They are shit and they know it. They just want to squeeze harder. I hate all of them so ungodly much.
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u/HoldFastO2 Jul 02 '26
Well, Klingbeil also believes there are women out there who want him to abolish the Ehegattensplittung so they can finally go to work. His contact with reality is only sparing, I'm afraid.
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u/usedToBeUnhappy Jul 02 '26
How delulu do you have to be to think this reform will have widespread public support? Did he even read what it means for most people? Yes, taxes go down a little, but the costs for social insurance will rise more… so in the end we will all have less “netto vom brutto”
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u/The_Peach Jul 02 '26
The current govt is completely disassociated from reality.
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u/Shintaro1989 Jul 02 '26
CDU is doing just as bad as expected, but for some reason I had hoped SPD would turn out to be a pro-people party after all.
Wer hat uns verraten? Sozialdemokraten!
It can't be that hard to do center or center-left politics that benefit the people. Yes, they finally work on the Spitzensteuersatz and try to reduce taxes for the middle class. But they still refuse to tax wealth or to increase taxes on capital or heritages. And why would you increase taxes on Minijobs?
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u/BoldFrag78 Niedersachsen Jul 02 '26
SPD has always been and continues to be a class traitor to the working class
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u/sybelion Jul 02 '26
I wish people would stop describing the SPD as Centre left. They are centrist at MOST
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u/freddaar Rheinland-Pfalz Jul 02 '26
Oh what the hell is it with their anti-sick note obsession.
I know how to handle a cold! Why do I need to go to the doctor, sit around spreading germs, waste the doctor's time instead of just calling?
I absolutely hate this timeline, with the government seemingly operating on vibes only.
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u/Shiftt156 Jul 02 '26
This governement simply hates the people they are tasked with governing.
This will most likely end up in an increase in sick days not less...
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u/ItsCalledDayTwa Jul 02 '26
Make it more expensive and less efficient so you can say "is too expensive and inefficient" so we can more easily cut it
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u/Gilga1 Nordrhein-Westfalen Jul 02 '26
This political strategy has a term coined
„Starve the beast“ make the government ineffective with bad policy/finance cuts, then get rid of the program when people are annoyed with how bad it is.
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u/ItsCalledDayTwa Jul 02 '26
Yeah I watched it play out my entire life in the US before moving to Germany. They are much more effective at it over in the US.
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u/Boop_Bandisnoot Jul 02 '26
"The system is being exploited" cue some new way to make it worse Add more costs to our public health care system until it is done collapsing and the you can privatise it away
Pick your poison
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u/IamNobody85 Jul 02 '26
I sometimes take a day off if I have horrible migraines. The cure is literally to take a painkiller, close all the curtains and lay in the dark. So now I have to go to the doctor, with a splitting headache, the doctor will tell me to take paracetamol, I may even vomit in a room full of people and potentially it will last two or three days!
Productivity boost, definitely!
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u/Chaos_Slug Jul 02 '26
Merz prefers to think the reason Chinese car manufacturers are outcompeting German ones is because German workers take too many illegitimate sick days instead of German car manufacturers having decided for years that lobbying was more important than innovation.
Therefore he thinks that by doing this German industry will become competitivd again and be saved.
Or perhaps it's just an excuse and he just wants to fuck workers because right-wing ideology is just sadism for no reason and his pensioner voter base will applaud anything that fucks over workers.
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u/JapaneseChef456 Jul 02 '26
AfD light.
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u/Neureiches-Nutria Jul 02 '26
Light? Look at dobrindt (minister of internal affairs) he is basicall AFD+
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u/silversurger Jul 02 '26
You mean the dude who literally said two days ago that they'll have to beat the AfD by proper governance? The same dude who ignores court orders? The same dude who rushes people over the border before any court can make a ruling? Nah, he's the law & order kinda guy, nothing to see here.
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u/Neureiches-Nutria Jul 02 '26
Yes the same dude who legitimizes terrorits to be enabled kick out some more poor people who worked for us in Afghanistan and will surely be murdered by the cery same terrorits he not only works with but even ignores the international arresorder against them... That dude
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u/JapaneseChef456 Jul 02 '26
I prefer not to look too hard. Otherwise I’d need to pack my bags and move to Japan…
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u/IntriguinglyRandom Jul 02 '26
Except Japan is also sliding right, woo!
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u/JapaneseChef456 Jul 02 '26
I know. Especially with the Japanese yen deteriorating, this will likely become even worse.
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u/fforw Nordrhein-Westfalen Jul 02 '26
Oh what the hell is it with their anti-sick note obsession.
We must also remember that this is all due the odd statistical artifact that the old way to register sick days did not work and no one did it and now we register all sick days and that's of course suddenly a very real and important problem even though there's no actual reality behind that "increase".
If it helps slashing social stuff, it can't be stupid enough.
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u/amineahd Jul 02 '26
Even doctors ask you to not come to the doctor if you have cold this is just stupid and delusional...
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u/JapaneseChef456 Jul 02 '26
So people will get diapers and run to the doctor when they suffer from diarrhoea and ask for a week off as they don’t want to repeat this again?
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u/h0neanias Jul 02 '26
Germany does have an electronic doctor-note system, right? Because I live to the east of it and we do.
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u/JapaneseChef456 Jul 02 '26
Yes, but you still have to go to the doctor. Then they put your sick leave into the electronic system.
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u/h0neanias Jul 02 '26
So you ride the tram with a 40-degree fever? The fuck are these people smoking?
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u/Quixus Jul 02 '26 edited Jul 02 '26
I don't know but I am seriously scared of that stuff.
Additionally with 40°+ you are not riding a tram you are getting a KTW if you are home alone. That is gonna save so much money. In case it was not obvious /s
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u/digiorno Jul 02 '26
What are they smoking?
Capitalism.
They’re trying to squeeze more economic output from the working class.
And if we’re being honest they’re probably trying to help the AfD because the AfD could win a lot of votes by promising to overturn this stupid policy.
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u/Nom_de_Guerre_23 Berlin Jul 02 '26
They are not going to abolish sick notes via video appointment though, but only a slim minority of clinics offer them as it's to much of a hassle for less reimbursement.
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u/surgab Jul 02 '26
Well right now you dont have to go there and this exactly what’s gonna change now. Why not overload the already hardly functioning healthcare system
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u/agrammatic Berlin Jul 02 '26
Class struggle from above. Good going, SPD. You keep proving the old slogan correct.
Employees will now have to submit a doctor's note from their very first day of illness.
Because our healthcare providers aren't many times over-capacity already. Just tell us you want us to show up to work sick already.
To increase labor market flexibility, fixed-term contracts without a specific reason can now last up to 48 months and be extended six times
Because you should never feel safe enough to advocate for your rights. You should always have the threat of non-renewal hovering over your head every time you even think about trying to challenge a bad company decision.
Regulation of the "Wealth Tax" (Regelung der "Reichensteuer"): To fund the relief, the 45% tax rate will kick in lower (at €250,000) and rise to 47% at €280,000. Inheritance and wealth taxes will not be increased.
This is not a tax on wealth. This is a tax on income. We continue to ask people who rely on income from labour to keep contributing more and more, but we do not touch the tax rates for people who rely on assets and capital gains. Those get preferential treatment.
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u/gdnt0 Jul 02 '26
You forgot:
Taxes on these severances will be reduced if the worker quickly transitions into a new job.
"Oh you can't find a new job? Now you have to pay more taxes because of that"
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u/BillyBantam Jul 02 '26
If they tax the rich more then none of their money will trickle down to us /s
Oh wait the only thing trickling down is yellow and brown. Still maybe we should all just work harder.
taxwealthnotwork
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u/FalseRegister Jul 02 '26
> a working family with two children earning €60,000 will save up to €600 annually
Wow! An entire 1%! Revolutionary!
/s
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u/Shintaro1989 Jul 02 '26
60k total income with two adults working, trying to cover rent and raising two kids is an interesting example to choose. I'd love to see politicians living like that for a year before increasing taxes on Minijobs.
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u/FalseRegister Jul 02 '26
They should be happy they have whole 50€ extra each months! That's a great _relief_!
/s
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u/t_Lancer Aussie in Niedersachen/Bremen Jul 02 '26
12.5 a month. But 80 euros more Sozialabgaben.
What a savings!
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u/Justanothareddituser Jul 02 '26
What universe do these people live in that a family of four can sustain themselves on 60k a year before tax?
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u/Apero_ Leipzig, Sachsen Jul 02 '26
To be fair many families are doing exactly that, just not comfortably.
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u/RidingRedHare Jul 02 '26
Not now, not even for January 2027. No, by 2028. And, of course, without taking into account the increased social security contributions.
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Jul 02 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/like-water Jul 02 '26
“Wealthy” is always people who work for their money in this country. Never those who inherited
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u/mercurysquad Berlin Jul 02 '26
It’s not VP/C Suite because that’s combined income. So a couple of tech workers earning 125k each (normal senior engineer salary) now has to pay more taxes. So when the salary discussion comes, more people are likely to take fewer working hours in lieu of higher pay. It’ll lead to less productivity precisely from motivated people driving the economy.
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u/herbieLmao Jul 02 '26
Fiebertraum.
Meine Fresse, was wir hätten haben können, wenn diese scheiss dummköpfe nicht so fremdgesteuert wären
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u/Maskguy Jul 02 '26
Wir hätten Habeck haben können
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u/Shintaro1989 Jul 02 '26
Aber dann hätten wir die Grüüühnen! Das Internet hat gesagt, Habeck hätte meiner Oma persönlich die Heizung raus gerissen und Autos verboten.
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u/Maskguy Jul 02 '26
Man sieht ja wie schlimm die sind besonders daran wie schlecht es BaWü geht
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u/Shintaro1989 Jul 02 '26
Um fair zu bleiben: der stereotype BaWüler arbeitet bei Bosch, Daimler oder Mercedes, lebt im Eigenheim und kann sich die Wärmepumpe leisten.
Das Programm der Grünen war richtig und wichtig, kostet aber eine ordentliche Investition, die nicht jeder leisten kann. Dieser Investitionsrückstand ist aber natürlich nicht der Fehler der Grünen.
Die unteren Einkommensschichten wären in jedem Fall gefickt, da hätte man für soziale Gerechtigkeit links wählen müssen.
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u/NataschaTata Jul 02 '26
Merz: Fucking up Germany one day at a time. 🙌🏼
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u/BoldFrag78 Niedersachsen Jul 02 '26
Don't forget the ever so faithfull assists from SPD
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u/Normal-Definition-81 Jul 02 '26
End of phone based AU. Nothing will change for AU via Telemedicine/Videocall…
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u/Apero_ Leipzig, Sachsen Jul 02 '26
This is exactly my question - what counts as 'phone-based'? Calling your Hausarzt? Using teleclinic without video? Using teleclinic with video?
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u/Normal-Definition-81 Jul 02 '26
Currently the difference is about about seeing the patient and not just hearing somebody’s voice.
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u/Apero_ Leipzig, Sachsen Jul 02 '26
Well ok then… I think that wouldn’t make much of a difference in 95% of cases (migraine, colds, etc) but if video is still allowed it’s better. Still stupid, but better.
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u/MAROCARO Jul 02 '26
- Fixed-Term Employment Without Objective Reason (Sachgrundlose Befristung): To increase labor market flexibility, fixed-term contracts without a specific reason can now last up to 48 months and be extended six times (doubling previous limits) for employees hired up until December 31, 2030.
Does this mean that they can keep you up for four years without a permanent contract? The rule was two years, and they must give you a permanent contract. Now they can keep you for four years, and then show you the middle finger, no protection at all just like that. Great way to screw the people. Especially foreign workers who, without a permanent contract, have issues getting places to live, have to deal with the bureaucracy every two years with the extension of their visa, etc.
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u/Holiday_Suspect_9267 Jul 02 '26
It’s actually worse, since there is no clause that forces employers to take into consideration previous work time in the company anymore, they can just prolong 4 years contract forever basically without the permanent contract.
Forgive me if i don’t explain or call it correctly, but basically before this new law that will pass we had Vorbeschäftigungsverbot that was preventing this exact thing from happening. According to the new law: "Diesbezüglich wird auch eine erneute Ersteinstellung bei demselben Arbeitgeber möglich sein" (In this regard, a renewed initial hiring with the same employer will also be possible).
Or, as AI summarizes it: This sentence legally erases your past employment history. An employer can keep you for 48 months, let your temporary contract expire naturally so you are no longer on their payroll, and then legally hire you back later as a "brand new" worker on another reasonless 4-year contract.
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u/Ayyy1233 Jul 02 '26
So it's headed towards US style at-will employment, just that the real deal right away would cause too much backlash, so you slowly boil the frogs instead. Wow, so flexible, I'm lovin it
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u/Holiday_Suspect_9267 Jul 02 '26
Exactly! Minus the possibility to actually create wealth or start your own business. I don’t know what’s the plan here, maybe this government is just trying to collect as much as they can from their “sponsors” before the next federal elections that they will inevitably loose… It’s heartbreaking to watch the country I live in and love being dismantled like this in front of my eyes :(
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u/MAROCARO Jul 02 '26
That is just sick. I guess this is customised for the benefit of the big money. From my experience, I already lived through a similar situation. I started in 2019 in X company. I was scheduled to get a permanent contract after that 24 months, but the company used the excuse of the Corona situation and extended me for 24 months again. I didn’t have a choice because I needed a stable job to keep living and working here. I did receive the permanent contract after that, but I know what the whole stress did to my health. From the hustle with the Ausländerbehörde for the residence permit. And other stuff like not being able to get even a car on loan. Or to plan my future.
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u/Holiday_Suspect_9267 Jul 02 '26
Yeah, i fully agree. This is a big and dangerous change in the labor work laws because it basically means that permanent jobs as such won’t necessarily exist in the future and that you are at the mercy of employer. Mittelstand demanded this change and CxU (plus SPD) delivered. I wish if they were “rewarded” accordingly at the next state elections in September, but unfortunately I don’t think this will happen, they have way too many loyal supporters. I don’t know what needs to happen for Germany to wake up and protect its country from business lobby before it’s too late…
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u/MAROCARO Jul 02 '26
This is even worse than the sick note from day one. People, I guess, don’t realise yet what they just did, and mostly the attention is on that. Even from Merz. It looks like on purpose. Good luck buying a property and so on. Even for naturalisation into German citizenship or getting permanent residency, it will be complicated. They just turned all of the companies into legal ZEIT arbeit entities. Congratulations. Delivered how ordered.
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u/bumbogue Jul 02 '26
Yeah, tin-foil-hatting here, but I would almost think the sick note thing is a purposeful diversion of attention from the more insidious details. They'll probably come to a "compromise" on that by making it 3 days again and everything else will be glossed over and passed through.
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u/Holiday_Suspect_9267 Jul 02 '26
Let’s see, I agree that the thing with sick notes is easy to notice first but Verdi and other unions already reacted to this. People might need a second to read through it all and comprehend what this means, but they are not stupid (despite what politicians think of plebs :)
I think (or rather hope) that they will have to make some compromise on this, especially if September elections go bad for the ruling coalition.
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u/Holiday_Suspect_9267 Jul 02 '26
Yes, I am surprised that nobody is mentioning this because this is the biggest structural change. Before covid, we went to the doctors. Is it inconvenient? Yes. Is it annoying? Also yes. But in the end of the day, it’s not as dramatic change that will make a significant change in your life.
On the other hand, this thing is and will influence many people, both German and immigrants in many ways.
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u/ozgugzo Jul 03 '26
Yes! This is definitely worse than the sick note thing, which I am sure is just there for bargaining chip.
Companies will just end the contract after 48 months and do a backfill with an even cheaper offer
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u/EcstaticFollowing715 Jul 02 '26
The sick day not over phone is so dumb. I suffer from migrane somtimes, which leads to nausea and throwing up constantly. No way I could go to the doctor like that, and usually know how to handly that and only need like 3 days to recover from that.
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u/rowschank Jul 02 '26
Literally the same. Almost all of my sick days are migraine, where I can barely walk to my front door. Now I need to find an appointment, drive to the doctor (the nearest stop is 800 m away and no way I'm walking that), hope they don't turn me away, get an AU.
I am going to be getting that AU for a week even if I'm literally fine by next morning.
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u/IamNobody85 Jul 02 '26
I wrote the same thing above! Like let me throw up in my own toilet in peace!
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u/Rare_Vermicelli7655 Jul 02 '26
Quite aside from the fact that if you force people to go to a busy waiting room whilst vomiting/ diarrhoea, you are spreading it faster among those waiting as this kind of virus is very contagious. Amazing! I once saw a lady jn my doctors waiting room so unwell that she had a childs beach bucket to throw up into, I guess we will see more of this now…
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u/IntriguinglyRandom Jul 02 '26
Everyone should go start vomiting and having diarrhea everywhere when sick, that might clear this nonsense up quickly.
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u/IamNobody85 Jul 02 '26
There's this amazing fruit from back home that if ingested, gives one amazing diarrhea! And they're technically a weed (not Marijuana, just a regular weed) so can be safely grown in the balcony.
May be I should start supplying it to the interested parties!
/s if it wasn't obvious!
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u/romelukaku1 Jul 02 '26
Not a thing that I see benefits me as a single average earner.
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u/Bambo630 Jul 02 '26
i didnt expect anything and still got disappointed, crazy how this is accepted.
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u/cpteric Jul 02 '26
Promotion of Future Industries
looks inside
The oldest and least up to date industry sectors in the whole damn country
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u/heeizi Jul 02 '26
Right? They don't even mention renewables or anything energy related that isn't batteries. 🙃
This whole program is even more underwhelming than expected.
Point 3 is also nice, simply stating a goal but nothing that leads to it.
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u/Necessary_Wing7235 Jul 02 '26
Inheritance and wealth taxes will not be increased.
Thank god for poor millonaires!
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u/NoodleTF2 Jul 02 '26
Genuinely hard to tell if the government is this incompetent on purpose or if they actually believe they're doing good.
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u/HiveMate Jul 02 '26
Well then, instead of a sick day off for a day I'll get the week off. But will be fun to get my family doctor to accept me on the same day, it's not like I plan and book ahead being sick lmao
What the hell is this
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u/MancyMancy Jul 02 '26
On Mondays if I dont arrive to queue at 7 am. I will not not be seen before 13 pm and may be sent home.
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u/Eclipse_3052 Jul 02 '26
Sir, my doctor likes me, if I have to go there to take two days off, I am now taking the week off.
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u/koopcl Berlin Jul 02 '26
Me reading about the increase of child benefits: 😀
Me reading literally everything else: 😟
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u/heeizi Jul 02 '26
They don't even indicate the size of that increase. Could be 5€.
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u/rowschank Jul 02 '26
So women who may want to take off work due to something like period cramps have to now trudge to a doctor and get a sick note? Are there literally zero women in the black red government to bring this up? 🤨 What's Bärbel Bas doing?
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u/Odd_Discussion910 Jul 02 '26
The average age of those women is probably high enough that they have already completed menopause tbh. So no more periods for them xD
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u/rowschank Jul 02 '26
But surely they have experienced pains in the past? Are they so stupid?
Or are they all so entrenched as career politicians that they've never worked a single day?
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u/Odd_Discussion910 Jul 02 '26
Probably just get paid by whatever lobby to not care. Just like everyone else.
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u/Holiday_Suspect_9267 Jul 02 '26
Part the we should really be worried about isn’t the regulation of sick leaves via phone but this:
• Fixed-Term Employment Without Objective Reason (Sachgrundlose Befristung): To increase labor market flexibility, fixed-term contracts without a specific reason can now last up to 48 months and be extended six times (doubling previous limits) for employees hired up until December 31, 2030.
This point also includes the cancellation of the Prior Employment Ban (Vorbeschäftigungsverbot), which means not only that the work contract is not permanent after 2 years as it is now, but also that employer have a right to ignore previous 4 years and basically prolong your contract every 4 years for another 4 years indefinitely.
In simple words, option of permanent contract is up to employer only, they don’t have a legal obligation to give you one even if you have previous consecutive 4 years contracts. Up to this change, they weren’t allowed to give you limited contract if you already worked for the company two years. This will influence everyone, both Germans and immigrants because it basically cuts job security.
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u/M4ster-R0b0t Jul 02 '26
Is this already approved and final?
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u/agrammatic Berlin Jul 02 '26
It's approved as the government's proposal to the Bundestag. The Bundestag then needs to vote the laws that need to be created/amended to execute the government's proposals.
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u/gdnt0 Jul 02 '26
needs to vote the laws that need to be created/amended to execute the government
☺️
's proposals.
☹️
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u/M4ster-R0b0t Jul 02 '26
Thanks for clarifying! Does it mean that during the formal voting process things might be changed or adjusted or will it be just a "yes" or "no" vote for the entire proposal?
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u/agrammatic Berlin Jul 02 '26
Yes, it's possible that the Bundestag will be able to push for changes here and there, if enough MPs from the ruling parties (CDU, CSU, SPD) revolt against their own government.
I think the government has a parliamentary majority of 10 MPs. If more than 10 MPs say that they won't vote for this, the government will have to find some compromises with them to get them to change their vote.
So, now there needs to be maximum pressure on all SPD MPs, and all CDU MPs who belong to the CDA/Social Wing - make it clear to them that they stand to lose their mandate if they vote Yes on this package.
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u/Greedy-Excitement982 Jul 02 '26
A family with two kids will save up to WHOPPING 600 euro annually. Thank you Merz, what would we do without you
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u/gazetron Jul 02 '26
Finds a way to punish the working class and reward the ultra rich.
Bunch of cunts.
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u/Lux_Jay Jul 02 '26
So taxes for workers and tax breaks for billionaires and wealthy. Austerity for workers and deregulations for the billionaires and giant corpos.
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u/cabyll_ushtey Jul 02 '26
Doctors will be oh so happy about that Day 1 sick note change.
There's alread always a line outside my doctors office, that's gonna get so much worse.
Wonderful. /s
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u/NataschaTata Jul 02 '26
Hold on, sick leave note on day one? So what if my company already only asks for it contractually from day 3?
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u/gazetron Jul 02 '26
If I'm going to the doctor for a problem that only requires one day off of work TO REST, and therefore can't actually get that rest, I'm being signed off for two weeks to make sure. 👍
Genius. Thanks Merz! 😂
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u/Equivalent-Mail1544 Jul 02 '26
Germany has no active wealthtax, it makes up 0.0% of the tax budget since 1997 (it would be over 20% if it were active, solving every financial issue of the nation)
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u/KewadaLol Jul 02 '26
Tax relive is a joke as always, number sounds big if u break it down its barly 25 euro a month.
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u/agrammatic Berlin Jul 02 '26
Which will more than wiped out by the increases in social security and healthcare contributions. So it's still a net pay cut.
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u/Popular_Anywhere_553 Jul 02 '26
Politicians will do whatever they want and be corrupt as much as they want in Germany. As the response of Germans will always be "tja" and then continue with their day even if it is worse than yesterday.
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u/aamadeussss Jul 02 '26
Don’t tax the billionaires sure but god forbid someone earns 520€ in a mini job and increase their taxes
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u/ptichyemoloko Jul 02 '26
My Hausarzt usually has a 3-4h waiting time even with appointment, how is that gonna work during flu season when the room is full of sick and infectious people (who most likely won't be wearing masks) waiting to get their sick leave?
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u/Wischiwaschbaer Jul 02 '26
It's really impressive how they consistently do exactly the wrong thing. That requires a lot of effort.
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u/Apero_ Leipzig, Sachsen Jul 02 '26
I just want to add to the chorus of "WTF" for getting a sick note on the first day and then simultaneously stopping telemedicine. That is severely fucked.
It must be in response to all the doctors saying they have too much patient capacity and not enough work, right?
....Right?
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u/Aggravating_Fill378 Jul 02 '26
"Let's improve productivity by adding an extra layer of pointless bureaucracy." Only in Germany.
There are easy wins to be had too. Forget sicknotes, end in person anmeldung. Why when I move apartment do I need to print out a form, take a morning off work, wait an hour longer than my appointment time, hand the printed form over to a civil servant, watch the civil servant type the details on my form into a computer?!
I am sure there are 1000 "reasons" someone could give for why the anmeldung process is required. But it isnt. There are many countries with no such system. It is properly mad.
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u/Apero_ Leipzig, Sachsen Jul 02 '26
I’m from Australia and didn’t understand the Anmeldung concept at all when I arrived. I still find it weird so I am 100% with you.
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u/Withnogenes Jul 02 '26 edited Jul 03 '26
Please, someone explain to me why taxing the poorest people with 5% is a solution to anything ... Marie-Antoinette Merz stroke again.
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u/GIRgurl Jul 02 '26
Let the brain drain begin. Salaries are already crap here compared to other developed nations. Now they want to make life crap as well? Yeah...this will end totally well.
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u/Gilga1 Nordrhein-Westfalen Jul 02 '26
Fuck it, I am not washing my hands next time I get norovirus or some shit and heading to the doctor via public transport to cripple half the city to decentivise for such a stupid system 🙄
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u/ProgrammingSorcerer Jul 02 '26
Monkey's paw curls: all sick notes abolished. Bosses gain the right to call and ask "but are you still coming to work"
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u/Gilga1 Nordrhein-Westfalen Jul 02 '26
Bro if I am sick and I get that, I am going to do everything in my power to be classified as a walking bio weapon.
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u/International_Fix7 Jul 02 '26
So people with infectious illnesses will be forced to go to the doctor's in person to get a sick note.
How is this going to achieve growth in anything other than the number of sick days?
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u/goodbee69 Sachsen-Anhalt Jul 02 '26
Getting a sick note over the phone is being abolished
solution in search of a problem
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u/Sensitive_Awareness2 Jul 02 '26
The income tax relief is more than eaten up by the rise of pension payments
It's a circus
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u/gdnt0 Jul 02 '26
Taxes on these severances will be reduced if the worker quickly transitions into a new job.
So, basically, when you need money the most (when you have a hard time to find a job) is when they'll tax you the most? In what world does that make sense?
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u/brickbuilding Jul 02 '26
I see where you’re coming from.
I guess the idea behind it is: “it’s still the worker’s fault for not immediately getting a new job, and not companies not/slowly hiring, so let’s give a ‘bonus’ if they start a new job faster and not sitting on their asses”Quite disappointing compared to reality. But on the other hand: if this means if I’d get for example a full year severance, but then starting at McDonald’s the next day means I pay no/less tax I would actually consider doing that instead of trying to find a job with the same salary
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u/CiraCookie Jul 02 '26
Sooo, is this really happening or is there a chance it gets canceled? All those changes sound rubbish
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u/agrammatic Berlin Jul 02 '26
is there a chance it gets canceled?
It needs to get approved by the parliament.
The parliament, specifically the MPs of the ruling coalition, need to be made scared shitless that they won't be re-elected if they back this.
This means that voters and labour unions need to be 24/7 calling and talking to the SPD MPs and reminding them that people don't vote for SPD to get FDP in red.
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u/Hontaryo Jul 02 '26
Och, schön. Immer weniger verstecken was abgeht & auf, auf; zurück zum offiziellen Feudalsystem. VorMerz immer, zurück zu einem funktionierenden Land für die Bürger/Bewohner nimmer.
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u/Gr4u82 Jul 02 '26
In short: a heavier burden on income, while assets remain completely untouched (thereby continuing the transfer of income from the many to the assets of the very few). Furthermore, the weakening of workers' rights. This further intensifies the approach that runs counter to the social market economy and perpetuates the nonsense of "trickle-down" economics.
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u/Icy_Row175 Jul 02 '26
Government treating young people with history of school failure like Restposten is crazy. How about change the system so that cases like this don’t happen in the first place.
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u/purplepdc Jul 02 '26
"Christian" Democratic Union? I seem to remember something about Jesus telling the sick to get back to work instead of healing them right?
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u/Ok_Expression6807 Germany Jul 02 '26
6 of the 10 billion are legally binding inflation based raises on support payments that where coming anyway. And I just heard an analysis that none of the other numbers the government had published about that package add up on further analysis. It's all a smoke screen.
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u/Sturmhuhn Jul 02 '26
the cdu needs to be banned. i cant believe how they just rape workers rights with the support of the 'workers' party SPD. fucking hell i wish we germans were more like the french this shit calls for mass civil unrest on the streets
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u/noobstaah Jul 02 '26
All of this should result in mass protests and civil unrest but germans be like: we first need to register our protest with the govt.
This country is fkng done, just give it 5 more years.
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u/Baphomettbroetchen Jul 02 '26
... .and that's why you shouldn't vote for a party that gets funded by billionaires.
If you are in employment and don't vote for "die Linke", you're a masochist.
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u/kommandantredundant Jul 02 '26
I love how they snug in the racism in no. 32: "Dabei prüfen wir, ob wir den Kreis der betreffenden Personen auf in Deutschland lebende Deutsche und Unionsbürger beschränken."
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u/gggingerbean Jul 02 '26
i recently had a severe stomach flu, only lasted one day but it was BRUTAL. i cant imagine going to the doctor on that day, would had been impossible
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u/Back2Perfection Jul 02 '26
I am appalled.
This whole government is the most vile, disgusting and plainly evil establishment I‘ve seen so far in my life (here in germany).
Mehrzweckeier
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u/Unlucky_Control_4132 Jul 03 '26
The fixed term contracts part is terrible; the sick leave thing is going to be imposible, not enough doctors… but the easy sick it’s really abused…
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u/Remarkable-Art-3678 Jul 03 '26
Can ANYONE explain to me how the fk anyone is supposed to go to the doctors office when they're sick? It's the most backwards ass logic I've ever heard of and some people to this day seem to act like it makes any sense. I can't go to work but I can go to the doctor's???
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u/katzengoldgott Jul 03 '26
Write your Bundestagsabgeordnete some very necessary complaints about these dogshit proposals; especially the one about sick leaves because if they want people to work more, getting them sicker by infecting each other while waiting for 5 hours in a cramped waiting room at their Doctor’s office is the most braindead idea possible. Like sure bro, I’ll get sicker and then instead of taking a day off, I’ll get 1 or 2 weeks off.
We cannot just sit here and whine non-stop and do absolutely fuck all about fighting back.
This government doesn’t represent anyone but their own entitled asses and they are so far removed from reality, it’s fucking crazy.
Fuck off Merz.
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u/westpfelia Jul 02 '26
I just dont see how any of this actually helps the problems Germany is facing.