Political scientist Renate Reiter: Focus on basic security!

Political scientist Renate Reiter: Focus on basic security!

Hagen, Deutschland - pd Dr. Renate Reiter received the Venia Legendi for political science in May 2025. She is a research assistant in the studies of political field analysis & environmental policy at the FernUniversität in Hagen . Her research focus is on social and health policy, especially in the Franco-German comparison at the local level. In her habilitation, she devoted herself to the topic "Political Change in the Welfare State. Politics of Social Services in Franco-German comparison".

Renate Reiter has acquired a German-French double diplom and analyzed the social urban development policy of both countries in their doctoral thesis. Germany and France, both founding members of the EU, have a similar Bismarck social state model with social compulsory insurance, but differ significantly in their government system: Germany is a federal state while France is a central state. Reiter emphasizes the increasing importance of the interaction of financial social benefits and social services.

basic security versus citizenship money

A central concern of the new federal government is the introduction of a basic security instead of the existing citizens' allowance. The citizen benefit, which has been the basic security for employable people in Germany since 2023, is intended to guarantee a decent subsistence level. It includes a monthly standard rate as well as the costs for accommodation and heating. From 2024, the standard rate for single people is 563 euros, while partners receive 506 euros in a community of needs. In a European comparison, Germany offers a comparatively high level in basic security, but the amount and design of the social benefits vary greatly from country to country. In comparison show that Denmark, the Netherlands and Austria offer high performance, while many southern Europe and Osteuropa countries either have lower services or they have been completely abolished.

social services and challenges

riders researched aspects of health policy in Germany, France, England and Sweden, especially in disadvantaged rooms. Her investigations showed that Sweden performed better in outpatient care in these areas. She is currently planning research on the effects of right -wing populism on European cohesion and leads projects for the modernization of the public health service and the role of municipalities in terms of social and political cohesion.

The EU has clear skills in the social field, which mainly focus on coordinating the social policy of the Member States. National governments decide on important questions such as wage regulations and social benefits, such as describes in detail. The EU's social dimension has grown over the years, supported by instruments such as legal regulations and funds to combat poverty and the promotion of social integration.