Berlin in the social security dilemma: More co-determination required!

Berlin in the social security dilemma: More co-determination required!

Berlin
– The discussion about social self-government in Germany is gaining momentum. The Federal Commissioner for Social Elections demands that the insured should be given more say. This is about the future and stability of the country's social systems.

Peter Weiß, the Federal Election Commissioner and former CDU member of the Bundestag, is committed to fundamental change in German social law. He advocates anchoring social self-government in the Basic Law. This means that the committees that manage the social security systems should be given a legally secured right to have a say. “The current system cannot simply be continued as it is,” emphasizes Weiß and calls for a reform that gives insured people more influence on the design of social insurance.

The current social elections have shown that there is a lack of willingness to act among the insured. Although around 52 million people were eligible to vote, only a fifth of them took part. This represents a decline of nearly 8 percentage points compared to the 2017 election. To overcome this crisis in participation, more voice is needed, Weiss said.

A new approach to social security

Weiß specifically demands that the self-governing bodies of the existing institutions and corporations under public law that oversee health, unemployment, pension and accident insurance should also be given constitutional status. In doing so, he asks the question: How much co-determination do the insured actually need in order to be able to actively shape the benefits and use of the contribution money?

The deficiencies in the current ability of the insured to exert influence are obvious. Particularly in the past, political decisions often had greater importance than the opinions of the insured citizens. “The reality is that many key decisions were already made by the legislature well in advance,” says Weiß. The new initiative could lead to insured people being offered a choice that they can decide for themselves.

Potential for exciting election campaigns

The authors of the final report from the last social elections agree: the question of social self-government has the potential for exciting election campaigns. Eligible voters could be faced with the decision to choose between different types of benefits, deductibles and choice of service providers, while at the same time their contribution burden decreases. This issue would not only increase voter turnout, but also stimulate the debate about social systems.

According to Weiß, this could create a dynamic election campaign in which the insured can clearly formulate their needs and priorities. Who knows, perhaps we will see active participation in elections in the future if people feel that their vote has a real influence on the social shape of their lives. More information about this is available www.nordbayern.de.