In an interview, he called plans to put off the planned raise in child benefit payments unconstitutional. The SPD chairman based this claim on a Constitutional Court decision that the minimal cost of living must also be guaranteed for children. Lafontaine gives up leadership of Saar-SPD Oskar Lafontaine, the head of the federal division of the SPD and governor of the Saarland, has handed over the leadership of the SPD in the Saarland to his longtime colleague, Reinhard Klint. Klint received 347 of 363 votes. Lafontaine made it clear, however, that he would continue in the post of governoer.
FDP president rectifies statements on nursing insurance reform Stuttgart.
Gerhard, president of the FDP, has rectified statements made by leading union politicians on the installment of the second step of nursing insurance. Gerhard told South German Radio that the final decision would depend on the employer's payment portion being equalized in the second step. In the past several days, union fraction president Schaeuble and CDU General Secretary Hintze had asserted that the second step would begin as planned. In light of the budget cuts planned by the governing coalition, the FDP leader called for a tariff reform in wage and income taxes during the current legislature period. The front lines are firmly drawn in the coalition crisis involving the CDU and SPD in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.