ABSTRACT
Employers in Germany thus acknowledge their social responsibilities and are in favor of the necessary adequate social insurance for the population. In many industrialized countries, a paradigm change in social policy can be noted, towards keeping the social security system efficient and affordable over the long term. Statutory health insurance as well, can and should be retailored on a lasting efficient and affordable basis through partial privatization. Collective public social insurance systems need to be complemented by private individual provision. Under the principle of subsidiarity, therefore, collective state insurance systems provide a counterpart to private, personal responsibility for risk provision. The central task of a modem, forward-looking social policy is therefore to achieve a significant and lasting reduction in the burden of taxation and contributions on employees and firms through far-reaching and lasting structural reforms in all areas of social security. The transition to a modem mixed system must therefore be tackled in good time, in progressive stages.
