Important News: Planned Cuts to Disability Support and New Parental Allowance
Today's summary addresses planned savings by the federal government regarding social benefits for children and families. Additionally, there are new developments for medium-sized enterprises as well as political demands concerning migration policy in Vienna.
The federal government is planning cuts to support for children with disabilities and mentally ill adolescents. Critics accuse the government of promoting social selection with these measures, which primarily affects the weakest members of society. At the same time, new regulations for parental allowance (Elterngeld) are causing discussion. Parental allowance is a state financial aid for parents who care for their children themselves after birth and therefore work less. The new rules could make it particularly difficult for mothers to fairly divide so-called care work—the unpaid care and support of family members—with fathers.
Medium-sized enterprises in Germany are facing growing challenges due to bureaucracy. Currently, the greatest hurdles include the introduction of e-invoicing, the requirements of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and complicated procedures for funding applications. Experts advise entrepreneurs to streamline their internal processes to avoid these bureaucratic traps and remain competitive.
In Austria, the Vienna FPÖ (Freedom Party of Austria) is calling for the creation of a dedicated department for "remigration." The party uses this term to mean the return of migrants to their countries of origin. Dominik Nepp, the party leader in Vienna, justifies this by stating that individuals who exploit the social system must leave the city. The FPÖ considers the previous migration policy in Vienna to have failed.
In the economic sector, there are positive signals for young companies. In Bremen, a new fund amounting to 30 million euros has been launched to support startups. Additionally, there is movement in the market for tax software: the provider Taxfix is now expanding its services to the self-employed, while several new companies in the technology and health sectors announced their founding.
Further details on these topics and additional reports can be found in our news section. Learn more there about the mission of ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano in the Artemis III moon mission, the opening of the Space Pavilion at ILA Berlin 2026, or read a personal account about living with the hormonal disorder PMDD.