The Left Party warns that Germany’s new welfare reform worsens conditions for vulnerable groups and plans legal action.

The leader of Germany’s Left Party, Ines Schwerdtner, has announced potential legal action against the country’s new welfare reform, which replaces the previous Bürgergeld system with stricter measures. Speaking on RTL and ntv’s ‘Frühstart’ program, Schwerdtner stated, ‘We are now examining a constitutional complaint against this.’ She referenced a 2019 ruling by the Federal Constitutional Court that deemed excessive sanctions on welfare recipients unconstitutional.

Schwerdtner criticized the reform for disproportionately affecting single parents and other vulnerable groups. She argued that instead of harsher penalties, Germany needs better-equipped job centers, expanded language courses, and improved childcare to help people re-enter the workforce. Schwerdtner also condemned the stigmatization of welfare recipients, noting that only 0.3% of beneficiaries are ‘total refusers,’ while many struggle with mental health issues or single parenting.

In a sharp critique of wealth inequality, Schwerdtner targeted affluent individuals who live off private assets and rental income without paying wealth taxes. ‘These are the real social parasites in this country,’ she said. The reform, which came into effect on Wednesday, introduces stricter participation requirements and penalties for the 5.5 million welfare recipients, fulfilling a key promise of the governing black-red coalition.