Welchen Preis haben die Kürzungspläne der Regierung? Mit Maurice Höfgen

Do the government's so-called "reform plans" improve people's lives? The changes affect almost every area – from pensions and healthcare to parental leave benefits. But the closer you look, the more the impression arises that what is being sold as major and sustainable reforms are, in many respects, financial cuts. At his summer press conference, Chancellor Friedrich Merz reiterated that the government urgently needs to take action against the gigantic deficits into which the social security systems would inevitably plunge if nothing were done. The government now expects that the planned or already enacted legislative changes will, for example, keep health insurance contributions stable – and that the changes to income tax will even provide noticeable relief for the population. However, critics fear that families, single parents, and employees with health problems will be the ones who suffer the most. One of these critics is Maurice Höfgen. The economist, author, and YouTuber (“Money for the World”) dissects the government's plans in conversation with Anne Will – and reveals the price they will come at, and for whom. But how could things be better? That's the topic of this episode of “Politics with Anne Will.” The editorial deadline for this episode was Wednesday, July 15, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. LISTEN TO THE PODCAST AD-FREE Become a member of “Politics with Anne Will” for €4.99 per month and listen to the podcast completely ad-free in the podcast app of your choice. All information at: https://will-media.de/mitglied-werden... ADVERTISING AND DISCOUNTS: https://linktr.ee/werbungannewill Would you like to advertise on our podcast? Then send an email to: [email protected] Politics with Anne Will goes on a live tour - get your tickets now: https://tix.to/politik-mit-anne-will-... October 6, 2026, Hanover November 3, 2026, Berlin IMPORTANT SOURCES: Federal Government: A program for economic recovery and employment, February 2, 2026 https://www.bundesregierung.de/resour... German Economic Institute: Tax reform does not provide compensation for bracket creep, Martin Beznoska/Tobias Hentze, July 7, 2026 https://www.iwkoeln.de/studien/martin... ZEIT: Karin Prien defends planned cuts to child support advances, July 14, 2026 https://www.zeit.de/politik/deutschla... RND: More paternity leave is good, fewer parental leave is not, Christiane Jacke, July 7, 2026 https://www.rnd.de/politik/elterngeld... SPIEGEL: A €25 child supplement would be better, Sebastian Fischer July 8, 2026 https://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutsc... FAS: Federal Government Loans – Are 838 Billion Euros of Debt Worth It?, Patrick Bernau/Ralph Bollmann, July 11, 2026 https://www.faz.net/aktuell/wirtschaf... IMK/WSI: Pension Commission Proposals Pose Risks to Economic Growth and Social Cohesion June 24, 2026 https://www.imk-boeckler.de/de/presse... YouTube: Money for the World – Why the Reform Package Is a Disaster, Maurice Höfgen, July 2, 2026    • DARUM ist das Reformpaket ein Desaster!   Imprint: Editors: Tobias Jaecker, Melisa Gürleyen Executive Producer: Marie Schiller Producers: Patrick Zahn, Alex Kraudelt Sound Design: Hannes Husten If you would like to advertise, please contact Mit Vergnügen GmbH. A Will Media GmbH Production