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THE STATE & POLITICS
and national insurance contributions have
That said, new tasks await. As in other indus-
risen. New debt assumed by central government
trialised countries, demographic change and
has been reduced to zero. The Energy Reform is
the associated ageing and contracting popu-
being driven forward – renewable energies are
lation are regarded as a challenge. Not least of
on the way to becoming the decisive technol-
all for this reason Germany intends to sim-
ogy for generating electricity. Furthermore, the
plify immigration and make it easier for new
reform of the social welfare systems in the early
citizens to become integrated.
2000s, a policy programme that went by the
name of Agenda 2010, ensured that Germany
weathered the financial crises since 2008 better
than other countries in the Eurozone.
INTERNET
Together, the people in Germany have made
the gradual fusion of east and west Germany, a
major issue since 1990, into a success story. The
“Solidarity Pact II”, for which 156.5 billion euros
are set aside, will remain in force until 2019. All
The German Bundestag
Elections, Members of Parliament,
parliamentary groups
→ bundestag.de
tax-paying citizens in the east and west con-
The Bundesrat
Composition, duties, sessions
tinue to play a joint role in the “Aufbau Ost”
→ bundesrat.de
project to redevelop the east through the “solidarity surcharge”, a supplementary contribution which today stands at 5.5 percent of personal income tax.
The Federal President
State visits, appointments, duties
→ bundespraesident.de
Chaired by Federal Chancellor Merkel, the federal cabinet meets every Wednesday at 9.30 a.m. in the Federal Chancellery