Europe: Initiatives fail: What will become of basic income for all?

The proponents of a unconditional basic income for all struggling with political defeats. In Berlin just failed referendum, which aimed at a state-financed pilot project for a basic income. 3,500 Berliners should have received a basic income for three years, and the practical experience should give new impetus to the debate. But the referendum as a preliminary stage to a referendum supported only 125,000 citizens – 175,000 would have been necessary.

Not the only disappointment: Previously, a Europe-wide citizens’ initiative for an “unconditional basic income throughout the EU”, which was largely promoted by German organizers, had remained unsuccessful: If a million citizens had deposited their signatures, then according to European law, the EU Commission and the EU Parliament would have have to take a position on the proposal and, if necessary, also start a legislative initiative. Hopes were high, especially since the EU Commission had extended the deadline twice because of the corona pandemic. But in the end only 296,365 signatures were collected, less than a third of the required number.

EU initiative on basic income: Germany falls short of expectations

The quorum was only reached in four EU countries, seven countries would have been necessary. In Germany, the mark of 70,000 signatures was still just reached four days before the deadline, but the initiators had hoped for much more and declared 300,000 German supporters the goal because there is a “strong basic income movement” in this country. Italy, Slovenia and Spain did slightly better. In a number of countries, however, the organizers experienced a disastrous lack of interest.

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Even in Finland only 2805 signatures came together, although the Finns already had experience with one model project collected: 2000 randomly selected unemployed people in Finland received a basic income of 560 euros instead of unemployment benefits for two years, tax-free, unbureaucratically and without conditions.

The result was mixed: Although the participants had fewer health problems and stress symptoms, this had no effect on their employment status. The experiment in Finland had no political consequences.

Left party starts a membership decision on basic income

The only ray of hope for the basic income movement: In Austria, enough signatures were collected in May for the parliament there to deal with the basic income referendum. The European Citizens’ Initiative sums it up: “It’s a really tough job that still needs to be drilled.”

The movement does not want to give up. On September 12th in Berlin, a broad alliance of organizations such as Attac, the Catholic Workers’ Movement or the Awo-Jugendwerk as well as numerous individuals will present a new appeal for a basic income in Germany.

Hope gives the proponents in this country that the left party on September 13 starts a membership decision on the question of whether the unconditional basic income should be included in the party program. If a majority voted yes, the left would be after the greens the second party in the Bundestag with a corresponding positioning.

“The debate about basic income has progressed worldwide, including in Germany,” says Ronald Blaschke, co-founder of the Basic Income Network. He speaks of a “broad social acceptance” for the demand that the topic has left its “niche place”. “For many, the question is no longer whether a basic income should be introduced, but how it should be structured,” explains Blaschke.

Basic income: Many questions are still unanswered

This form has not yet been clarified at all, which may be one reason for the slow support of corresponding initiatives. How high the income would be, how the state should finance it and which state social benefits how Hartz IV in return would be dropped, the previous campaigns mostly leave open. There is a wide variety of models, none of which should be excluded prematurely.

However, many debates refer to calculations according to which a basic income that secures a living would have to be around 1200 euros per month. The “My Basic Income” association, for example, pays participants in a long-term study 1,200 euros a month for three years. However, if all citizens were entitled to a corresponding monthly payment as a basic income, the total costs for the state would be over 1 trillion euros a year, around a third of Germany’s total economic output.

This article first appeared on morgenpost.de.

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