German Red Cross Chief Demands Urgent Welfare State Overhaul
"Of course, we will also make our voice heard in the debate on reforms in the healthcare system," Hermann Gröhe, president of the German Red Cross (DRK), told Tagesspiegel. "We caution against measures that may yield short-term savings but lead to higher costs in the long run," Gröhe warned. "We need more—not less—preventive care to avoid illness wherever possible."
He argued that weakening in-home care would only increase the number of people requiring earlier, long-term residential care. "Our welfare state faces growing challenges," Gröhe said, "from the rising number of elderly and care-dependent individuals, the spreading epidemic of loneliness, and the ongoing task of integrating immigrants."
At the same time, he noted, financial resources remain constrained amid persistent economic weakness. "That is why our welfare system must become more targeted—and thus more efficient—through cutting red tape and embracing digitalization." Gröhe welcomed the fact that the government's welfare state commission had already taken up demands put forward by social welfare organizations.
"In our discussions with the chancellor, we as welfare associations have made it clear that we must be properly involved in consultations on comprehensive welfare reform," Gröhe stated. "After all, we are the ones who shape the welfare state on the ground." He emphasized that for fundamental changes, the usual hearings within cabinet or parliamentary procedures would not suffice.
