At a day-care center summit of the Union faction in the Bundestag, the Union faction leader Friedrich Merz (CDU) spoke out in Berlin on Thursday in favor of maintaining and continuing the language day-care program despite the tight financial situation.

Despite declarations of intent to the contrary in the coalition agreement, the Ministry for Family Affairs announced in July that it intended to end the program at the end of the year, although it was evaluated positively overall.

Heike Schmoll

Political correspondent in Berlin, responsible for “Bildungswelten”.

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Merz reported on the occasion that twenty years ago he set up his own foundation in Arnsberg, which aims to improve education and training in difficult social conditions.

From his own experience, he was aware of the need to ensure secure language skills before starting school and training.

Merz: Don't save in the wrong place

In view of the Ukraine war, the priorities would have to be set anew.

"There will also be unpleasant decisions," announced Merz.

But the question is what priorities are set.

"The damage that we would cause here in the children's language skills will catch up with us a few years later, twice, three times, five times, ten times over, with all the greater costs," warned Merz.

If it is not possible to promote all children's language skills in such a way that they are capable of being trained, "then we will lay the ax on the welfare state in Germany," said Merz.

“If you really have to spend money in one place, then this is it.” He would work in the Union faction to ensure that the language daycare program could be saved and continued, he assured.

He hopes that there will be a cross-party solution with the traffic light parties in the budget committee.

The Federal Family Minister Lisa Paus (Greens) was also accused at the opposition summit of not pursuing a children's policy and of setting the wrong priorities.

Saving on education, of all things, is the wrong way to go.

Affected specialists for language education and day-care center managers complained about the short-term announcement without a transition period.

The family policy spokeswoman for the Union faction Dorothee Bär (CSU) emphasized the uniform framework of the language daycare program, which offers children affected comparable opportunities.

"No child must be lost," she said.