He promised new programs for single mothers and children, and said he would simplify tax laws and administration and promote high-tech research to put 3.4 million German unemployed back to work.
There were few specifics, but it was Kohl's sharpest statement yet on shifting emphasis from a welfare state toward a more self-reliant society. Kohl, 64, was re-elected Oct. 16 to a fourth four-year term.
Germany, one of the most highly regulated countries in the world, is flooded by laws, rules, and regulations, Kohl said. It needs less state tinkering and more "rethinking" of the postwar welfare state. "Too many in our land expect too much of the state and aren't willing to take responsibility themselves," Kohl said in his opening policy speech to parliament.
Germany's social spending, which accounts for more than a third of the gross domestic product, must be focused on the truly needy: long-term unemployed, the disabled, single women with children, he said. Aid will be cut to unemployed people who refuse job offers, Kohl said. And health reform will free companies of insurance burdens, giving them more money for investment.
Kohl, whose coalition returned to power with a tiny 10-seat majority, called for a "coalition for the future" to "renew our state and make Germany fit for the 21st century." However, Social Democrat opposition leader Rudolf Scharping and the smaller Greens faction responded without enthusiasm to the appeal for an informal "grand coalition," pledging to exploit the chancellor's weakened position to press their own agenda.
"Our opposition will aim to make life better for people in this country, not to keep you in office, " Scharping told Kohl in his response to the speech. "Every day you are in office is one day too long for us."
Scharping mocked Kohl's policy toward the 6.9 million foreigners living in Germany, to whom Kohl dedicated just one paragraph of his 22-page speech.
Kohl offered to give temporary dual citizenship to children of immigrants born in Germany if one parent has lived in the country at least 10 years. The proposal would affect 9,000 people, according to one study.
It will not affect hundreds of thousands of Turks and others who have lived in Germany 20 to 30 years, or were born here, and pay billions in net taxes, Scharping said. "These people must have the right to citizenship," he said.
Joschka Fischer, the Greens' parliamentary leader, also pledged to work to bring down the coalition inside its four-year term. "This government does not have the strength for renewal this country needs," Fischer said.
In foreign policy, Kohl said his main task would be to deepen and expand the European Union. German troops will be available for UN peacekeeping missions, Kohl said, but they will not be sent on all such missions. (AP, Reuters)
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.