The Merkel government is under attack. The opposition points the finger at the Minister Kristina Schröder’s policy in favour of the families: “enough with financial support to married couples”, declared the SPD deputies, Grüne and Die Linke. It would be better investing in childhood facilities and implementing maternal and paternal leaves’ allowances.
The bone of contention was the proposal presented by the Die Linke (former communist left-wing party) oriented to a different use of the funds for the family and rejected by the majority (there aren’t enough money, argued the government coalition). But the querelle hits the very conception of the family carried on by both the Ministry and the government.
The opposition parties, in fact, believed that Minister Schröder has been spreading an outdated image of this institution so far, as a picture-postcard, identifying it exclusively with married couples who have children. Without taking into consideration the changing trend of the traditional male-female roles, and of the different family arrangements that characterize modern Germany.
“But the family exists whereas persons take on the social responsibility, one for another, of living together”, affirmed the deputy Diana Golze (Die Linke). So much so that, for instance, are growing more and more single-parent’s families. On the same wavelength is the intervention of the green party’s deputy Katja Dörner: the government increased Kindergeld (funding for children) and tax relief, but it has cut out from its provisions lower-income families, that are often made up of a lone parent.
The Christian-democrat’s deputy Dorothee Baär defined the Linke proposals “a potpurri of good humor”. The federal policy, argued the majority, refers to any family units. However, the left-wing conception of wanting that each and every woman would work full-time is “irresponsible”. “On this topic, we are for the freedom of choice”, concluded the Baär.
The answer was not long in coming. “The Minister Schröder and the government are talking of freedom of choice – said the SPD deputy Christel Humme – but the insight message sent by all the support measures in favour of the newly-mothers, promoted by the Merkel government, is very different: women, stay at home”. “It isn’t true that the government cared just for traditional families”, were the defensive words spoken by the liberal Nicole Bracht-Bend, who outlined the good results of the federal programme “Männer in Kitas” (men in day-care centres) as well. A clear example of how the charges against Minister Schröder are just simple inferences.
On the inside: