Welfare debate

Guido Westerwelle, Germany's foreign minister and vice-chancellor, remains defiant over controversial comments he made after the social welfare program Hartz IV was declared unconstitutional this week.

After the ruling came out, Westerwelle said that the debate about Hartz IV had "socialist elements" and that "those who promise effortless wealth, are inviting Roman decadence."

Germany's highest court has ordered the government to recalculate the payments it makes under the Hartz IV program for the unemployed. The ruling has triggered a debate about whether to raise benefit payments for children, for example.

Westerwelle rejects criticism

Westerwelle's comments sparked calls for an apology, but the foreign minister was sticking to his guns on Friday.

"Those who work must earn more than those who do not," he said in Berlin. "I must be allowed to say that in Germany. Everything else is socialism."

"I speak a language that people understand," he added.

But chancellor Angela Merkel as well as coalition partners from the Christian Social Union (CSU) have distanced themselves from Westerwelle.

A government spokeswoman said the German government was there for all Germans. "Of course, everybody has different ways of expressing that," she said.

The secretary general of the CSU, Alexander Dobrindt, was more direct in criticizing his coalition colleague.

"Solidarity is not socialist, it's a basic principle of our economic system," Dobrindt said.

Angry opposition

The opposition parties were even more vociferous in their anger.

Social Democrat and premier of the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, Kurt Beck, said Westerwelle was completely off track and should apologize.

He also called him "arrogant" and said that "his (Westerwelle's) comments are a slap in the face of those who work hard but do not earn enough to live without state benefits."

The Greens were also up in arms. "This stirring up of social unrest is undignified for a German foreign minister and vice chancellor," said Renate Kuenast, who is the leader of the Green party in parliament.

Politicians from the Left party agree. "Merkel has to ask herself whether it's acceptable to have a foreign minister who clearly has problems with some fundamental principles of our constitution," said Klaus Ernst, the Left party's number two.

Union representatives also condemned the comments. "Guido Westerwelle is dropping his mask," said Frank Bsriske, head of the services union ver.di.

Voters' support waning

But, perhaps most importantly, voters also seem to be going off the Free Democrats.

"Westerwelle has lost his compass," said the head of the Forsa polling institute, Manfred Guellner.

Worst of all, he says, if Westerwelle is trying to keep the Free Democrats' traditional fan base of small and medium-sized business people on side, it is not working.

"The businessman or woman from the Mittelstand (which represents small and medium-sized businesses), does not welcome such extreme comments. They do not want a coalition that argues all the time," Guellner said.

He believes the Free Democrats will not make up any lost ground anytime soon, which does not bode well for the regional elections in North-Rhine Westphalia on May 9.

ng/dpa/Reuters
Editor: Rob Turner