Wednesday, August 2, 2023

The 5-Billion Euro 'Problem'

 In the past couple of days, the CDU Party has come out and said there's a problem they want the coalition gov't to fix (pointing at the SPD-Green-FDP folks).

So, it's a fact that every single month....Germany is paying out around 440-million Euro in payments....to around 587,000 refugees from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan...who are unemployed.  

Basically, the CDU folks are saying....you (the coalition gov't) need to find something of value (in terms of work) for this group to do.  

The angle?  Well....it's in the neighborhood of 5-billion Euro (yearly) that has to be spent on folks who seem to be idle and not producing much of anything.  On this, the CDU may have a point.  

But when you assemble these 587,000....how many have German language down pat....have  a occupation or trade worth something, and would take on work which might not be 'pleasant' or worth doing?

Around four years ago, I read through a story of a Syrian who had been briefly a teacher before the war started up, and couldn't get anyone in Germany to recognize his credentials.  So he went off and got a garbage-handler job, and somehow found a 'grant' out there where he could get a trucker's license....to become a garbage-truck-driver.  Shortage of teachers existing in Germany?  Yeah, they really couldn't figure out a way to advance this guy to a useful point.....so he drives a garbage truck today.

This rant by the CDU going anywhere?  In public minds, I would imagine that a majority of Germans agree.....you can't spend 5-billion Euro a year...for 'nothing'.  But how to advance on this idea?  Unknown.

3 comments:

Daz said...

Then the CDU will turn around and rant about them stealing jobs from Germans. Classic right wing playbook.

Schnitzel_Republic said...

Last six months, if you walk around, just a ton of help wanted signs. I see them in bakeries, on buses, at Burger King, at car shops, grocery operations. Back in March, some grill/pub operation 'boss' noted to the wife and I that he'd shortened the opening hours because he didn't really have the staff to stay open to midnight on Friday/Saturday.

Some of these require skills/backgrounds....some don't. It's surprised me how many Ukrainian have been able to fit into the job market.

I would guess some elements of the CDU (definitely the AfD) would go and suggest 'stealing' jobs. On the other hand, that 5-billion Euro could be better spent on German retirees.

Daz said...

I think the retirees had their opportunity. Perhaps invested in training German's or even better, subsidizing some of the low wage jobs to make them more attractive.