Content

Page 1 — "The Panic of descent makes our society more Unsolidarity"

Page 2 — "Many believe y are last generation to go better than ir parents"

Page 3 — "We need to reform basic security in old age"

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Time Online: Mr Cremer, many people in Germany are dissatisfied with result DerKoalitionsverhandlungen. You too?

Georg Cremer: No. Three parties will rule for anor four years. It is nurnatürlich that Coalition treaty fortführtund much of work done so far. We have lived in a comparatively well-governed country over past four years.

Time Online: In view of major challenges – digitisation, demography, migration – can we not expect more than continuity?

Creamer: Continuity is not a bad thing per se, especially in a country where Diegroße majority say y are doing well. I have heard accusation that DerKoalitionsvertrag is not "inspiring." I think that's silly. EinKoalitionsvertrag is a work programme for next four years and KeinFeuilletonartikel.

George Creamr

Is doctorate economist and was until mid 2017 general secretary of German Caritasverbandes. 2016 published his book Poverty in Germany. Who's poor? What's going wrong? How can we act? At Beck-Verlag.

Time Online: Is re a so-called big litter that many wish for in Unsererheterogenen and globalized society?

Creamer: In public debate, expectations are often aroused that do not erfüllensind. Take social policy: Contrary to popular belief, Wirweiterhin have a well-developed and functioning welfare state. Even if manwollte, you can't just reinvent it. Rar, it must be about eineschrittweise furr development of system, given derHerausforderungen we are facing. This can only be done in form of Oftkritisierten small-small. Everything else is illusory.

Time Online: Do you do sensible approaches in coalition agreement? Sensible small-small?

Creamer: In future, re will be a legal entitlement to full-time support in primary school. DerKinderzuschlag for low-income earners will rise, housing promoted, collective agreements in care strengned, invested in education. There are many good approaches in DerVereinbarung.

The huge distribution margins that some people supposedly see are not true. George Creamr

Time Online: From your point of view, where does dissatisfaction in Germany come from, view that Esgehe is becoming increasingly unfair?

Creamer: DieMeinungsäußerungen are contradictory: three quarters say it geheihnen good or very good. At same time, however, two thirds say everything istungerecht in Germany. Many believe that social cohesion erodes, but y find ir personal environment well.

Time Online: Wieerklären?

Creamer: UnsereWahrnehmung is still characterised by high growth rates derNachkriegsjahrzehnte. of times when incomes have risen sharply. Sohohes growth does not alsDauerzustand, at four percent over 100 years, Güterproduktionverfünfzigfachen would be. However, less growth does not mean that larger-scale society has to go worse. In fact, that is not case eir.

Time Online: In view of high tax revenues and solid growth, could we not do more to reduce inequality?

Creamer: It Istganz simple: Our welfare state is financed by contributions of insured Geil taxpayers ' money. It cannot be carried by Irgendwelchenkleinen rich groups alone, money has to come from broad center of society. The huge distribution latitudes that Mancheangeblich see are not in truth.

Date Of Update: 16 February 2018, 12:03