Germany: Ultra Right Wing Politician Demands Further Cuts in Welfare

Ultra right wing politician Markus Söder - secretary general of CSU, the ruling party in the German state of Bavaria - demands further cuts in social welfare for long term unemplyed. According to a report by German newsweekly 'Der Spiegel' based upon press agency reports, Söder says that the regular social welfare minimum of about 350 Euros was bearable while supplementary payments were to be put under closer scrutiny. Families are entitled to additional seasonal payments for heating or appartment rents, averaging at around 400 Euro per month for 45 square metres, to which unemplyed are entitled in Germany.

Söder also speaks out against minimum wages, Germany being a country that does not have such legal provisions, unlike the United Kingdom. The German association of trade unions (DGB) had demanded the introduction of minimum wages of 7.50 Euros per hour, meeting stiff resistance by the German conservative block formed by CSU and sister organization CDU, presided over by German chancellor, Angela Merkel.

Söders remarks come against the backdrop of the starvation death of a clinically depressive 20 year old man in the Southern German city of Speyer last week, who had not received any further social assistance after not reacting to official letters by authorities. Under the Hartz-IV legislation, introduced by the German social democrat/ecologist coalition before 2006, so called "case managers" decide cases without investigation on site by social workers who are now working exclusively as detectives to uncover alleged misuse of welfare payments.

Experience gathered with an incessant murder series in South London inner city environments seems to suggest that there could be a relationship between neoconservative "new deal" welfare policies and the upspring of violent demi monde neighborhoods.

Söder's remarks have so far received a freezing reception by important figures from the Social Democrats (SPD) who function as junior partner in the ruling German grand coalition government.