The exploitation of public sentiment or populist tactics: why is Vox in the Rhur area significant?
In the bustling city of Gelsenkirchen, a unique policy has been implemented for unemployment benefits. Only those individuals who genuinely have a school-age child can receive unemployment benefits without additional proof, a measure aimed at ensuring fairness and transparency.
Gelsenkirchen has also taken steps to prevent fraud in unemployment benefit claims. The city has introduced a tamper-proof school attendance certificate, a move that has seen no fake certificates submitted since October.
Meanwhile, in neighbouring Hagen, concerns about social welfare fraud have been rising. Authorities conduct controls every three weeks, with fraud being uncovered each time. Approximately 10% of unemployment benefit recipients in Gelsenkirchen are from Romania and Bulgaria, and in Hagen, more than half of the 7,000 people from these countries are receiving job centre support.
A large-scale control operation was recently conducted in Hagen, involving multiple authorities, primarily checking social welfare recipients. However, during a specific Romanian family's house check, no social welfare fraud was found, but numerous structural defects were observed.
Amidst these concerns, a Romanian woman named Monica Dalli has been charging 80-100 euros to fill out unemployment benefit applications in Gelsenkirchen. It is unclear whether her activities are linked to any wider fraudulent network.
Professor Sebastian Kurtenbach, who studies poverty migration at Münster University, has dismissed claims of mafia-like structures in the context of poverty migration as populism. He believes that the problems in Hagen and other Ruhr area cities, such as high unemployment, low income, high migration, and "poverty migration" from countries like Bulgaria or Romania, should be addressed with a more nuanced approach.
The municipal elections in North Rhine-Westphalia have concluded, and the runoff is approaching. Dennis Rehbein, a mayoral candidate in Hagen, is running against a candidate from the Hagens party. Rehbein has made addressing the issues of high unemployment, low income, and migration a key part of his campaign platform.
Despite the ongoing concerns, Monica Dalli maintains that everything she does is completely official. Meanwhile, business seems to be good for her, according to her own statement.
As the elections approach, the focus in Hagen and Gelsenkirchen remains on addressing unemployment, fraud, and migration, with the hope of finding sustainable solutions for all residents.
