Germany tested and approved basic income, but should shelve it
For three years, around a hundred people selected from 2 million volunteers received €1,200 per month, regardless of their means. This experiment has just released its results, which favor universal basic income. Yet, Germany has never been so far from adopting it, explains Die Zeit.
The month her basic income stopped flowing into her bank account, Samira Korves didn't immediately notice. "I didn't need the money anymore," she explains. For three years, the swimming instructor received €1,200 a month—just like that, with no strings attached. From 2021 to 2024, she was part of an experiment for which 2 million people applied. Only 122 citizens were ultimately able to benefit from this monthly income, under the curious gaze of scientists.
While she's no longer short of money, Samira Korves admits it's helped her a lot. When she was able to resume classes after the pandemic, she was able to hire a part-time trainer and a physiotherapist. She also invested in equipment and a booking platform for her clients. Her team now has twenty people and operates in five different pools.
While she is grateful to have received these sums without conditions, she remains critical. She is enthusiastic about the idea of people achieving their dreams, but she remains unshaken by one question:
“Would others have invested this money as wisely as
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