Debate on social reforms: Tax and social policy remain disputed within the coalition of Union and SPD ahead of budget consultations for the coming years. rnd.de, n-tv.de

• CSU leader Markus Söder rejected demands for tax increases on ARD. Instead, he wants to make the welfare state more efficient. According to Söder, this includes a comprehensive reform of Bürgergeld. Söder called for a broad reduction of taxes and levies, especially income tax. tagesschau.de
• SPD leader and Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil sees a need for reform in the social systems but warns against excessive cutbacks. However, the welfare state must not be „destroyed.“ There must be a comprehensive package that challenges everyone in society. abendblatt.de
• Rhineland-Palatinate Minister-President Alexander Schweitzer calls for modernization of the welfare state and complains about too many actors: municipalities among themselves, municipalities alongside each other, municipalities and the state, the state and the federal government, as well as social insurance providers. Too much money is spent on administration instead of shaping the welfare state. The SPD must shape and drive the debates on this.
• Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced a tough course on social policy at the state party conference in Lower Saxony. He said he deliberately did not want to make things easy for his coalition partner, the SPD; he would not be irritated by terms such as „social cutbacks“ and „slash-and-burn.“ He recommended that the SPD become „migration-critical and industry-friendly.“sueddeutsche.de
• Friedrich Merz said at the open day that in the autumn, the government would have to focus much more strongly on economic and social policy issues. „The Federal Republic of Germany is not where I would like it to be. We have to get better.“
• The Ministry of Economic Affairs insists on reforms after poor economic data for the second quarter. What has been decided so far is not enough. Further structural reforms are needed as soon as possible so that Germany can regain its competitiveness as a business location and return to a growth path.faz.net
• Chairman of the Young Group of the Union parliamentary group Pascal Reddig calls for reforms of the pension system; the burdens must be shared more fairly among everyone. People must be prepared to „work longer“ and say goodbye to „some benefits of our pension system that are not necessary but expensive.“ spiegel.de
• Schleswig-Holstein’s Minister-President Daniel Günther criticizes the expansion of the mother’s pension. He still considers it better if the government had prioritized the issue of electricity taxes; that would have helped businesses. It would also have had a relieving effect for all people in Germany, including mothers.

Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt wants to amend the Self-Determination Act because of right-wing extremist Liebich: Nobody could want such examples to set a precedent, Dobrindt told Stern; what is needed now is a debate on how clear rules can be established to prevent abuse of gender change. The right-wing extremist Marla-Svenja Liebich was sentenced two years ago – then still a man – to one year and six months in prison, among other things for incitement to hatred. She is now to serve this sentence in a women’s prison. There is suspicion that she only changed her gender entry to make a mockery of the Self-Determination Act. An evaluation of the law is foreseen in the coalition agreement.stern.de, spiegel.de

Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt defends his approach to the admission of Afghans: he rejected criticism that the admission program was dragging on; one could not expect him to solve in a few weeks what had obviously not taken place for months and years. He was not prepared to dispense with regular admission procedures and security checks. At the open day, Dobrindt emphasized that he was doing it properly, and that is why it would take time. Human rights commissioner Lars Castellucci had called on the Interior Ministry and the Foreign Office to speed up the admission of endangered Afghans from Pakistan. Considering deportations from Pakistan to Afghanistan, time is pressing. Dozens of aid and human rights organizations have called on the government in an open letter to protect endangered Afghans who have been promised admission to Germany. rnd.de

BSI wants to protect users from the influence of digital product manufacturers: The Federal Office for Information Security sees it as the state’s task to enable the safe use of digital products. From smartphones to smart thermostats, manufacturers sometimes have access to sensitive user data. BSI head Claudia Plattner pointed out that such products are largely manufactured outside Europe. In terms of digital sovereignty, the BSI is pursuing a dual approach. The European market and the local digital industry must be strengthened. And non-European products must be technically adapted or integrated if necessary. ariva.de

Further reports:

• Saarland’s Minister-President Anke Rehlinger can imagine an increase in large inheritances; it is about making the country fairer. faz.net
• CSU leader Markus Söder wants inheritance tax to be a matter for the federal states. tagesschau.de
• Economist Monika Schnitzer on care: „If the government does nothing, collapse will inevitably come.“rnd.de
• Education Monitor: Situation in German schools continues to deteriorate. tagesschau.de
• Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig wants to present a draft law to protect victims through electronic ankle bracelets for offenders.tagesschau.de
• Minister of State for Culture Wolfram Weimer wants to „invest in other projects“ instead of the Culture Pass. . faz.net